


A Legendary Story: The First of Its Kind, Part 2: The In-between

by Madth333



Series: A Legendary Story: The First of Its Kind [3]
Category: A Legendary Story: The First of Its Kind, Alpha Flight, Batman (Comics), DC Elseworlds, DCU (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Marvel Ultimates
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Fusion, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Alternate Universe - World War II, Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Deviates From Canon, Drama, End of the World, Epic Friendship, Gen, Multiple Crossovers, Mythical Beings & Creatures, POV Original Character, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Supernatural Elements, Tension, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-12-15
Packaged: 2021-01-26 13:09:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 41,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21374662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madth333/pseuds/Madth333
Summary: Following directly after the events of "Part 1: Just the Beginning",  "Part 2: The In-between" picks the story up just a few days after the conclusion of Part 1. Will the heroes make it out of their current predicament?... Even if they can, what else could still have been changed?
Relationships: No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: A Legendary Story: The First of Its Kind [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1530539
Comments: 118
Kudos: 5





	1. Let's back up...

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! Thanks for stopping by. Just letting you know- I am currently going through and revising Parts 1 and 2!
> 
> Just touching up typos, and such! 
> 
> Feel free to follow my tumblr for more updates on the status of the revising:  
https://www.tumblr.com/blog/madth333

A Legendary Story:  
The First of Its Kind

Part 2: The In-between

Chapter 29: Let's back up...

Chapter 30: The only problem now was

Chapter 31: This is it

Chapter 32: I'm going in

Chapter 33: We've already sent word

Chapter 34: Why these dreams?

Chapter 35: Who's in this room?

Chapter 36: Why I accepted the mission

Chapter 37: I can't get out

Chapter 38: Keep pushing me

Chapter 39: Who's watching Gotham?

Chapter 40: They don't suspect a thing

Chapter 41: What's your name, soldier?

Chapter 42: I had been spared

Chapter 43: Before I was spared

Chapter 44: Unsuccessfully, I must add

Chapter 45: So it was a set-up?

Chapter 46: The next mission?

Chapter 47: This should definitely go well...

Chapter 48: Wait for my signal

Chapter 49: What are you doing here!?

Chapter 50: The time does seem right

Chapter 51: I have an idea...

Chapter 52: There's only part of it left!

Chapter 53: Don't trust anyone!

Chapter 54: So what do you suggest we do?

Chapter 55: I will get to it

Chapter 56: I will move it forward...

Chapter 57: I'm not going

Chapter 58: I don't think I copied that

Chapter 59: Who could be doing this!?

Chapter 60: You'll see soon enough

Chapter 61: It really was our fault...

Chapter 62: Far enough

Part 2: The In-between

Chapter 29: Let's back up...

There we were, at the base of Eternity Mountain. The Hydra compound was just a few hundred feet up. On the way there, we had been hidden by the jungle canopy; up until the point where we were only, maybe a few hundred yards away. Today was finally it. We were going home.

It's been almost four days, and the team was more than ready to go home. While Rima does make a mean, roasted jungle rat; any longer, we couldn't stomach the rest of the Savages Lands. Heat aside, literally almost everything in the jungle can, and wants to kill you. Officer Kraven was the only one of us that seemed to be enjoying themselves… and he definitely was. Kraven the Hunter indeed...

Anyways, as we reached the treeline nearing the compound, we split up into two groups. Ka'Zar lead the second group further through the jungle, to flank around the compound's rear. In theory, our plan was simple. Barry would lead me, Phil, Rex, and Rick into the compound itself. Once inside, our mission was the familiar old, "search and destroy." We would try and gather as much intel as possible, secure our exit home, and along the way- sabotage as much equipment as possible...

The other team, consisting of Ka'Zar, Shanna, the Phantom, Eddie, Officer Kraven, and Private Stewart would approach and secure the airfield at the rear of the compound. Once we've cleared the Hydra forces from the airfield and the hangar, we would all commandeer a plane, and evacuate. Couldn't make it much simpler than that.

There is one thing though. The plane we needed to steal, to get home, was occupied by Sinestro. Yeah, so… let's back up…

In the past eighty-something hours we'd been in this purgatory, we had learned some fairly revelatory information. Let's start with the Phantom. While he maintained a refusal to take off his mask, he had shared with us how he got to the Savage Lands.

He said he didn't know how long ago it was, exactly, but that he had been protecting the Savage Lands for the past several years. He said that he once was from a different world. A world probably 'similar to that of our own', he said. But he never really gave us too many specifics of his life in that world. He said he was in a war- one that consumed all of that world's great nations. He said that there was a battle where he was piloting a fighter jet, and he was hit. When he woke up, he said he was here...

"The Phantom", apparently is a title passed from one guardian to another. For it was another "Phantom" who would come to save the now lost man, whom we would come to know as the "Phantom". After so long, the two had become a formidable force against evil in the Savage Lands. They accomplished many victories against many forces. However, one day, the original Phantom would fall…

From the sky had arrived a plane. A hominoid being emerged from the craft, wearing a sleek black and yellow uniform, and in possession of a yellow glowing ring… Sinestro.

When one day, Sinestro lead a Hydra kill-squad into the Valley of Geysers, the Phantom and his apprentice fought back with Ka'Zar and Zabu. While neither side could claim victory, both sides did claim losses. When the bullets stopped flying, and the quiet had returned over the Valley, Sinestro had managed to escape.

While the rest of the Hydra forces were eliminated, the original Phantom was mortally wounded. Before his passing, he gave the Phantom Rings to the new "Phantom". From that day forward, this Phantom has been monitoring and tracking the Hydra movements and advances in the Savage Lands.

Also from then on out, Sinestro has frequently been stationed at the Hydra compound, in the Eternity Mountains. He has bolstered the compounds security to two dozen armed soldiers around the perimeter gates, advanced automated weaponry guarding those same perimeter gates, and double that same size force guarding the airfields and hangar. What he was guarding with all of that force was still unknown to the Phantom, he said- but he also said that he did have an idea...

The Phantom said that when he was learning from the original Phantom, that he was taught about the legend of the Lazarus Pit. He said that the original Phantom was actually quite obsessed with those legends. The legend holds, there is a fountain hidden deep in the heart of Eternity Mountains. This fountain, the Lazarus Pit, is said to not only heal any ailments, but it is also said to bring life back to the dead.

The original Phantom was convinced that the legends were real, and he fully believed that to be the focus of Hydra's presence as well. The new Phantom swore to continue the Phantom's quest to find the Lazarus Pit.

The Phantom had also explained to us more about the nature of what the Savage Lands may actually even be. He said that Ea was similar to that of a spider's web. The web as a whole is representative of Ea. Sometimes things cause holes to rip into the connectivity of the spider web. The spider then comes back to repair the ripped sections.

In repairing, the new webbing is stretched across many different sections of the existing web, creating new points of connection, all around the repaired new center point. The Savages Lands would be like one of those new sections of webbing connected to, and connecting, several different points of the existing web.

As Barry interjected to tell me, while the Phantom was telling us all of this, "He's describing the 'Multiverse'. I think. Reed Richards told me about this 'Multiverse Theory' back when we first started researching the Speed Force… but wait, would that make me a spider?"

While we all had a good laugh at Barry's inquiry, the Phantom explained that in a way, yes, Barry was the spider.

He said, Ea is but one of countless other universes in the Multiverse, and that Barry's connection to the Speed Force allows him to freely move across the "webbing" of the Multiverse. He further explained that the Savage Lands is a pocket dimension within the Multiverse- an Ea of it's own. Though what makes the Savages Lands truly special are it's many open connections to other universes in the Multiverse. Like the body of the spider, the Savage Lands has many legs that branch out into the Multiverse.

Pairing those two bits of information from the Phantom, Rex began theorizing to himself that perhaps the legends of the Lazarus Pit were true? He postured to us that if the Savage Lands are connected to the Multiverse directly, and freely- perhaps there was a central location, within the Savage Lands, that acted as a direct connection between the infinite living beings in the Multiverse. And if so, if that connection could be the cause of the legends of the Lazarus Pit's necromancing?

So now back to the part of our current mission- regarding the gathering of information- our assault on Hydra's compound... It is partly to both investigate Rex's hypothesis, and the Phantom's quest. Barry and my focus would be to figure out how to use the equipment to ensure our way home, while Rex, Rick, and Phil would see what they could find out about the Lazarus Pit. Even with our plan in place though- no one could have anticipated what all we would end up learning…


	2. The only problem now was

Chapter 30: The only problem now was

With the second team moving into position, Barry made his move out of the treeline and towards the Hydra compound. He used his speed to approach the compound's exterior undetected. Rex took his last dose of Miraclo and we prepared for our move. Phil, Rick, and me would provide cover fire towards the Hydra barricade, while Hourman would draw the Hydra attention by charging their front gates. Barry would then try and use his speed to infiltrate behind enemy lines to open the front gate.

Our one shot at getting home; it would come down to this. This mission. This moment. Phil's been here the longest of us… I couldn't imagine how he must be feeling. Barry seemed like he was zoned in before leaving us, and Hourman is always collected. Rick might not have super powers, but he's really the one you always want by your side in these moments. The man is a professional…

Before charging the gates, Hourman looked over at the rest of us and he started to tell us, "Wait for my signal to emerge from the treeline. We've only got one shot at thi-…"

POW! POW, POW, POW…

We had been spotted! Bullets began showering out from behind the walls of the Hydra compound! Hourman charged to the front gates, while Barry prematurely made his move to infiltrate the barricade! Phil, Rick, and I began unloading every round of ammunition we had brought with us; trying to suppress enemy fire. We were able to pick off several Hydra grunts, and then we finally spotted the sentry guns. We concentrated all of our fire back on those!

Barry was able to get inside the front gates, and opened them for Hourman to join him inside. We managed to take out the sentry guns, and then kept firing on the remaining Hydra grunts along the perimeter- while Barry and Hourman moved to finish clearing the gate for us.

Finally we got the signal, and Phil, Rick, and I made our move to the compound gate. Once inside, there were more sentry guns and Hydra grunts that had us pinned down- just inside the gates. Barry eventually saw a clear path and ran to disable the sentry guns. The rest of us were able to clear out the remaining enemy soldiers, and advance.

We were finally unopposed, and inside the compound itself... We efficiently started sweeping the place for intel. As we made our way through, room by room, we ended up checking the one room that would come to change everything…

"Breaching room," Hourman called out, as he entered the final room before we would reach the compound's main operations center.

Barry ran into the room next, followed by Rick, Phil, and then me. We I finally crossed the threshold, entering into the room, I was immediately struck by the sight of… Reed Richards?

"Reed!?" Barry asked first.

Reed didn't have that same look of recognition towards us- that Barry and I had for him; when we encountered each other. I guess that made sense though, since originally Barry, Reed, and I hadn't yet met by this time… but Reed had never mentioned anything about the Savage Lands before either... And the look on Reed's face was one of horror? Reed hysterically declared, "You shouldn't be here! Get out of here, go!"

What?

It was then that from behind us, a new enemy would enter the room…

We were caught in the middle of a deranged looking Reed on the one side, and now a man with three, super-sized primates on the other! They were blocking the only exit from the room! I kid you not... the man had three Super-Apes with him!

He was an elderly looking man, balding, with a white beard. And he wore a red coat... Picture a slender, bald Santa Claus, and you have the image. And his Super-Apes, one of each an orangutan, gorilla, and baboon, just by the looks of them- one would imagine that this is probably how Grodd came to be...

"Reed's right," the man said, "You shouldn't be here." Then, with a wide smirk he taunted, "But since you are here, and since you have decided to try and destroy my work in the process… why don't you stay? Become apart of my experiments!"

His Super-Apes then charged towards Phil, Rick, and me! Barry and Hourman ran to meet the beasts, and they engaged them in hand to hand combat! Barry's speed seemed to be matched by the Super-Ape's strength. He and Hourman had their hands full with those monstrosities.

Rick then made a play at the old man, and Phil followed him. But the old man seemed to have some sort of telepathic ability to shield himself? I noticed in the commotion that Reed had gone to a specific lock-box, and was frantically trying to open it! I ran towards Reed to try and get some answers.

Just as I got to him, he finally opened the box- and he pulled out something that I had seen before! From the moment the box's door was flung open, I recognized that distinctive green glow… it was the Green Lantern Ring! Reed pulled out the ring, and just as I was about to yell out to Reed, 'how did you get that!?', The ring took off flying; flying right out of Reed's hand! It rushed quickly past everyone, and directly out the door!

"No! How could this be!?" Reed cried out. He then looked at me and snapped, "Who else is with you!? Who does the ring want!?"

Again, What!?

"After that ring!" the old man shouted to his Super-Apes, "Do not let that ring go to another!"

Hourman did his best to keep the Super-Apes occupied, or at least slow them down. Barry took off after the ring… but the ring flew faster than even Barry could run! The ring flew through the operations room and broke through a window- down into the hangar. The old man seemed to vanish, like a ghost, once everyone's focus had shifted to the ring. Phil, Rick, and I began running after Reed- who was also now chasing after the ring.

When I finally caught up with everyone in the operations room, looking down into the hangar, I couldn't believe what I saw next…

Barry and Hourman had jumped down into the hangar, as did the Super-Apes. To note however, by the end of this; the Super-Apes would not be seen again- after entering the hangar.

Rick was providing cover fire down into the hangar, and Phil was searching the room. As I scanned over the window ledge, into the hangar below- the ring had definitely 'found another'…

"What's happening to me!? What is this!?" Private Stewart was screaming below. The Green Lantern Ring had flown directly on to his hand! And now, he had unknowingly created massive machine guns that had began firing at the Hydra forces!

Reed was scrambling down a stairwell into the hangar. He looked to still be running towards the ring?

"Rick, Phil, let's get moving! We can't stay any longer!" I shouted, as I made my way towards the stairwell.

"Hey, I think I've found the coordinates home! And, wait! There's something else-" Phil started to say, but Rick cut him off, "Leave it, this is our only shot! Come on, man!"

The three of us had just reached the bottom of the stairs when a massive blast of energy exploded onto the ground in front of us! We were all blown back, but uninjured. We ran out into the hangar floor and saw Sinestro's plane! Next to it we saw Private Stewart and the Phantom. They were taking shelter behind some freight containers along the wall, behind Sinestro's plane...

The only problem now was- Sinestro was still guarding it…


	3. This is it

Chapter 31: This is it

Before we get to the "final showdown", one last bit of background information. I won't spoil whom would eventually tell me all of this, but this is important for understanding how certain events will come to pass...

So with that said, the last we heard about the second attack team- prior to what eventually happens with Private Stewart- was that Ka'Zar was leading them to the rear of the compound…

They almost immediately spotted more resistance than they had anticipated. Luckily for them, they were able to stay undetected. But what they saw… none of us would have expected. They said that not only was there the known Hydra force, stationed around the airfield and the hangar, but that a force of ninja warriors was stationed there too. These ninjas though, they were not Hand ninjas. They were something more ancient, and more sinister…

"They're called the 'League of Shadows'," the Phantom told Eddie, Officer Kraven, and Private Stewart. "They've long been thought to just be a legend. Stories told, and nothing more.

If the stories are true though… the stories of the League of Shadows always involve the Lazarus Pit. If the League is real, the Pit must be as well."

Ka'Zar, Shanna, Officer Kraven, and Zabu took up a position just along the treeline at the southwest corner of the airfield. The Phantom, Eddie, and Private Stewart took their position at the southeast corner of the airfield's perimeter. When the gunfire broke out at the compound's front gates, they said that much of the Hydra force withdrew to the front. That's when the second team made their move on the airfield.

Both squads moved in to engage with the ninjas, and attack the airfield! As they started moving closer to the hangar, Sinestro appeared on the airfield. He began shooting devastating energy blasts towards the team. Everyone took cover where they could, but Officer Kraven suffered a brutal injury to his right arm… it was blasted clean off!

Ka'Zar and Shanna recovered Officer Kraven, and pulled him back, out of harm's way. While they were retreating, Zabu charged at Sinestro! However, a near fatal explosion, by Sinestro's ring, blasted Zabu unconscious! Eddie, Private Stewart, and the Phantom managed to take a position just inside the hangar. They did their best to take out the remaining ninjas, and they tried to keep Sinestro from getting inside.

These League of Shadows ninjas may be rumored to be tremendous warriors, but overall- they were no match for our guns. Sinestro, on the other hand, seemed invincible to the same bullets... Every round they fired seemed to hit an invincible force field surrounding him. The gun fire did work though, to delay his advancing into the hangar- at least briefly. So there was that…

But as the three were holding their position, a new, cloaked figure emerged into the hangar. The man only had the end of a black beard showing beneath the hood of his black robe. He stretched out his arm and a final wave of ninjas exited from the compound, and charged into the hangar!

"That must be Ra's Al Ghul," the Phantom told Eddie and Private Stewart. "He's the head of the League of Shadows. They call him the 'Demon's Head'.

The Lazarus Pit is here! It has to be. If Ra's al Ghul is here, the Lazarus Pit is real!"

With that, they said, the Phantom tried to make a run for Ra's, but he was bogged down by Sinestro's ring blasts. He couldn't make any sort of move from his current position. Eddie on the other hand... he apparently had a shot. He took off after Ra's himself! Private Stewart was able to cover the Phantom, and they eventually withdrew their position to back behind some freight containers along a side wall.

They said that Eddie and Ra's starting fighting, hand to hand. Ras's had outmaneuver Eddie, and was looking to end the fight quickly… but that's when the Green Lantern Ring burst from the operations room's window, and down onto Private Stewart's finger!

Once the ring was on Private Stewart, he inadvertently made more guns for their fight against the League, and Sinestro. The extra firepower quickly decimated the henchmen, and finally started to show an effect against Sinestro!

The energy fired from the Green Lantern Ring seemed to be able to bypass Sinestro's force field, and knocked Sinestro back. Sinestro began furiously returning blasts of energy back towards Private Stewart, and their cross fire caused explosions all across the hangar! It was about now when we heard Private Stewart yelling,

"What's happening to me!? What is this!?"

Barry had raced over to Private Stewart and was trying to, quickly, explain to him that "what he thinks is what the ring makes." Hourman helped the Phantom finish off the last of the final few remaining Hydra soldiers from the compound. In all of this madness, Eddie and Ra's were no longer in sight? No one had seen where they went, and they were both definitely gone…

It was at this time too, that I noticed Reed also had vanished! He had for sure come down the stairs, and was running towards Private Stewart, and the plane- but now he's gone? Nowhere to be seen…

Phil, Rick, and I were running towards Sinestro's plane. I yelled out to Barry, Private Stewart, Hourman, and the Phantom, "Come on guys, this is the plane! Let's get out of here!"

It was then that Sinestro appeared, directly in front of Phil, Rick, and I! He lowered himself between us and the plane, and he taunted me, "You won't get away this time, Officer! This time, Thawne's not around to say we can't get rid of you, yet! Prepare to die!"

He then raised his hand, to direct a yellow blast of energy right at me! Before I could even have my life flash before my eyes, the Flash had moved me out of the way of the blast! Private Stewart then used his ring to create a giant vault of energy- encasing Sinestro.

"Get to the plane!" Private Stewart strained to yell. "I don't know how much longer I can hold him! I'm not even sure exactly how I'm holding him!"

We moved quickly, and we all made it to the plane. First in were Rick and Phil. Then Hourman. I told the Phantom to get in with us, but he said he would not…

"When Eddie and Ra's were fighting, I saw Ra's' face," the Phantom explained. "If you only knew how much I wanted to go with you, but I made a promise to a man that I had thought was dead. And now - if Eddie's still alive - I owe it to him to try and find him… I can't leave now. I'll distract Sinestro so Barry can get Private Stewart. Then you all get out of here! Now go!"

Rick had gotten the plane prepared for take off, and Phill uploaded the coordinates home. I got on the plane and shortly behind me were Barry and Private Stewart.

"Everyone hold on tight… we either die here or we make it home!" Rick called out to through the plane.

The engines fired and the plane began roaring out of the hangar; taking off from the airfield! Sinestro managed a few more blast of energy towards us, but the plane's shields withstood the hits.

"Closing in on the portal home's coordinates, everyone," Phil told us. "This is it."


	4. I'm going in

Chapter 32: I'm going in

Sinestro's plane was about the same size as one of the Quinjets. It was really even quite similar, overall, to a Quinjet; but it seemed to be infused with the Cosmic Cube tech that we saw them producing at Hydra Island. That was surely how it was able to access the portals connecting to and from the Savage Lands.

The theory that there were, potentially, so many of these connections though, made our trip home all the more dangerous. The wrong one would send us to Eru-knows where…

Phil said he found the coordinates home… and I love Phil… but Phil, is Phil. And he's no Multiverse-travelling connoisseur. Are we sure these are the exact coordinates home? He was searching through some desks and filing cabinets, and he found a file labeled 'Arda'. The file contained maps, photos, and coordinates for a destination both in the Savage Lands, and what we know as Antarctica. So it does make sense that this is the way home… but nothing has gone right on really any of my missions so far.

The plane was approaching the coordinates. This plane was definitely more advanced than a Quinjet. Where going to the Savage Lands we had rough turbulence, and electrical malfunctions- Sinestro's plane flew directly into the coordinates with ease.

"This is it," Phil told us…

From the nose of the plane we could see the sky suddenly turn black. Bolts of what appeared to be electricity began veining through the darkness. The plane almost felt like it was at a standstill- but then, through the windshield, we could see a bright light off in the distance...

CRACK-BOOM!

With the sound of a tremendous thunder strike, the light rushed towards us with blinding speed! The plane seemed to go through some sort of birth, or maybe rebirth- from the darkness we were born back into the light… and we were home!

Or were we?

"We're out of the portal everyone," Rick updated, "But the radar is not showing us over Antarctica…"

"Well, where are we?" Rex asked.

"I don't know," Rick began to panic, "The radar turned off completely, but looking out at the landscape- those are Tamarack Larch. I think we're in Canada? More pressing though- I'm not even in control of the plane anymore!?"

"What!?" Barry exclaimed.

"It's acting like someone else is controlling it?" Rick proclaimed, "I don't know, man!"

It was then that Private Stewart yelled from the back of the plane, "Guys, I found a locked door back here! It sounds like somebody's in here, man!"

Barry and Rex ran over to Private Stewart. Rick and Phil were still doing what they could to try and retake control of the plane, and I was almost frozen…

I'm not proud of it… but I froze. I didn't know what was going on, or what to do.

"Officer! Officer!" Barry was yelling to get my attention. "Officer, get over here!"

Barry's prompting helped me snap back to reality, and I too ran to the back of the plane to find out what was behind that locked door.

We decided that Barry would use his speed to phase through the door. With our guns drawn, Rex and I would man the door. Private Stewart was the last resort… with him having no real control over the ring, and unable to remove it- he was too much of a risk to the plane to have him actively involved. Rex was gun drawn as his Miraclo had worn off and he was completely out of his supply.

"I'm going in," Barry said before phasing.

Once Barry was behind the door, we could hear a brief struggle, and then we heard Barry again yell out, 

"Reed!?"

Click!

The door opened from the inside, and Barry walked out dragging a knocked-out Reed Richards…

"Stowaway!" Rex furiously declared.

"Guys, the plane's stalling!" Rick interrupted, "We're going down!"

With a certainly devastating wreck- imminently approaching- everyone braced for impact. Barry tied the limp Reed into a seat before taking cover himself. Rick was still trying to take back control of the plane, but to no avail. All we could do now was pray, and hope that Eru was listening…

KA--CHUNK!

The plane had suddenly stopped it's free fall? There was a subtle sound of impact, and then the plane stopped it's decent… And now we're flying again?

"Altitude stabilized, and we're heading southeast?" Rick updated, "We're flying, but I'm not too sure how, or where to!"

Before long, we could see a military-looking complex, hidden amongst the snowy mountain tops and trees. It looked to have a handful of large buildings, and there was a good amount of traffic moving about. We could see from the windshield that a stretch of land beside the complex had retracted to reveal a hidden hangar. The plane then started to go down for a landing. 

We gathered at the plane door, and prepared for the worst. Personally, I felt that if they had wanted to kill us, that would have been fairly easy to accomplish before now. But to be safe, Rick, Phil, Rex, and I took defensive positions aimed at the door.

Barry and Private Stewart took guard directly beside the door. Their tasks respectively would be to run out and survey the threats, and be the big guns if the other side attacked. Reed was still out cold- Barry must have been taking out some frustration…

Some commotion could be heard outside the door and we all were on high alert. Finally, the doors opened, and there stood a man wearing red and silver armored suit. Rex was right... Canada it is. The suit's armor had a maple leaf painted onto the torso! Canada-man spoke first,

"You have flown into restricted airspace. We mean you no harm, but you have some explaining to do. My name is Guardian. Identify yourselves."

Barry and I made eye contact and I knew what he was thinking. I nodded in agreement, and he cautiously turned to go meet this, Guardian.

"My name is the Flash. We don't mean to be here. Thank you for saving us, but we just need to get back to the United States."

The Guardian did react with some level of recognition of the Flash, "Welcome to Canada, Flash… But, I thought I read you died last year?" the Guardian said in a joking manner.

"Last year?" the Flash asked with an obviously deep confusion.

"Yeah, wasn't it… last August right? When the bomb exploded…" the Guardian still not realizing the cause of Barry's confusion.

"No? I mean… What date is it today?" Barry asked.

"The eve of the day of love," the Guardian chuckled, "February 13th"

"But what year?" Barry pleaded.

The Guardian, now realizing something must be very off, somberly answered, "Well, it's 1942, of course."


	5. We've already sent word

Chapter 33: We've already sent word

Let's pause to just remember- we left for the Savage Lands on August 31, 1941. Not yet ninety hours has passed since I turned on that timer over Antarctica…

Now we're told it's February 13, 1942…

If you know you're world history, those six months between August '41 and February '42 were, well… world changing!

That meant that Pearl Harbor had happened, and that the United States had officially joined the Allied effort in the Second Great War. Not just the JDC, but the entirety of the US armed forces were now actively involved in the war!

The Axis powers would soon be heading west towards the Maginot Fortress, and the Low Countries... Basically, this was also the height of the Axis' strength...

We also, now, have no Captain America. Well, the original Captain America is still around- but fighting for Hydra! Barry has been with me, so no Flash has been around to help. And that's not even to mention anything else that Thawne could have changed so far… I mean, who knows what else could be different this time?

Knowing now though too, that we were in Canada, was fortunate for us. With the US mainly participating in the Pacific Theater, in early 1942, I would assume that General Fury is based somewhere in the US northwest. Assuming everything goes well with the Canadians, my prevailing thought was that we should still get 'home' rather quickly.

After the introduction between Barry and the Guardian, the rest of us exited the plane. We were all met by a fleet of Candian Royal Air Force soldiers. The Guardian seemed too, to have a couple of other "super friends." Standing next to him was what appeared to be some sort of indigenous medicine-man… and BigFoot?

The soldiers would retrieve Reed from inside the plane, and we were all then lead into a briefing room, inside the complex. Once there, we were met by more super-powered looking people.

As we all took a seat around a large conference table, Guardian began by taking off his helmet, and introducing us to everyone...

"While in this suit my name is, 'Guardian'- outside of this suit, my name is, James Hudson. This is Alpha Flight. We are a branch of Department H, Canadian Intelligence. We have been working with General Fury, and the JDC, for a few months now."

Pointing to the medicine-man, James continued, "This is Michael Twoyoungmen, or 'Shaman'. He's a medicine-man from the First Nation in Calgary."

He then pointed to the giant ape-man and laughingly stated, "This is Walter Langowski. You've probably heard of him before. He's from Vancouver, but before we recruited him to Alpha Flight- he was just roaming around the US northwest. Had folks terrified, and calling him the 'Sasquatch.' So that's what we call him now too... Sasquatch.

And for the three just joining us-

This man may now be under four feet tall… but Eugene Judd is a world renowned adventurer. Once standing six feet, six inches tall, he took on the ancient sorcerer, Black Raazer... Judd would win his battle, but the effort had its cost. I still wouldn't mess with him though..."

Of the two women remaining, James pointed to the first, "This is Jeanne-Marie Beaubier, also known as 'Aurora'. Her brother, 'Northstar' is a member of Alpha Flight, too. Aurora might give the Flash here a run for his money… if you two raced head to head? No? Ok…"

James then introduced the last of the Alpha Flight members, "And this is Narya. She's a demi-goddess from Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Her code name is, 'Snowbird'. Where Sasquatch can only turn in to a sasquatch- Snowbird can turn into any of the animals that call the Northwest Territories home."

After James introduced everyone from Alpha Flight, Barry took the honors of giving us all our introductions.

"This has been great, really guys," Phil eventually said. "But we really need to get in contact with General Fury, ASAP. I mean… he's probably worried sick."

"Absolutely," James assured. His tone then shifted from one of pleasantries to being stern, and clearly serious, "We've already sent word. In the meantime… Please, explain to me this plane, this bound man, and how you came to be over my airspace."

... But how much do we really tell these people, right? I'm of the belief that since if Barry and I couldn't stop the alien annihilation from coming, they'd be doomed anyways- so what's the harm in telling them?… But at the same time, this story isn't really a story that you'd tell someone, and expect them to believe it's true... But we couldn't just tell them nothing...

They stood in the way between us, and getting home. We play by their rules and hopefully we get going sooner. We don't play by their rules, and maybe we don't go home at all…

Heroically, Private Stewart ended up being the one to come up with what we would tell Alpha Flight. He spoke up and said that he was attacked by Sinestro, and that we had flown out to rescue him. That we crash landed near an island in the North Pacific Ocean, and ultimately that we were able to steal Sinestro's plane and flee home. He said that the bound man was a pilot on Sinestro's plane.

Believable? Probably shouldn't be... But it seemed to work.

We were eventually lead out to a cafeteria for dinner. I won't even get started on how we all ate until they stopped serving us. My Eru… the food could have been terrible any other day- but after four days of jungle rat… it was amazing.

After dinner, we were eventually lead down to a barracks to get some rest. We were told that within the next several hours, General Fury would be arriving to the base. At the barracks, I picked out my bunk and got comfortable. Once laying my head on a pillow, after three nights of using dirt… I fell asleep about the second I closed my eyes.


	6. Why these dreams?

Chapter 34: Why these dreams?

"Officer, get over here! Officer, what are you doing!?"

Someone was yelling at me? I could barely hear them over the roar of gunfire, and the thunderous sound of tanks shooting. Other voices were either barking out commands, or screaming in pain. The one voice persisted,

"Officer!"

I finally came to, and realized that I was standing in the A.R.G.U.S. HQ parking lot? There was a handful of tanks, dozens of A.R.G.U.S. agents… and everyone was unloading at some man floating in the sky?

The man though, this sickly-looking man, he wore a grey bodysuit; adorned with the same 'S' insignia from the door in my dreams... He was flying, and he was shooting some kind of heat-beam from his eyes!

I would realize that the man yelling at me was Jim. He was wearing an A.R.G.U.S. uniform as well? I ran over to him, and we took cover behind an automobile.

"What it that thing, man?" I frantically asked Jim.

Jim looked at me like I had gone insane... He asked me, "Did you get hit in the head or something?"

He then told me, "That's Specimen 52! Somehow he broke out of his containment unit, and started destroying the place! I don't know what this freak is, but we need to stop him!"

Jim and I both then started firing at the specimen! However, ours, the other agents, the tanks… none of our bullets could damage this man?

I keep saying "man", but I have no idea what this thing is. I mean, he looked like a man - again, a scrawny, sickly one - but the red flares beaming from his eyes... They seemed to burn hotter than Sol! If the bullets weren't melted by them, and if the bullets did hit his body, they were merely crushed, and fell to the ground...

In all of this chaos, another man appeared from the rubble of HQ, and was firing back at us! Perhaps the specimen didn't just escape, but was sprung free? Were there more somewhere, still to be revealed? Units began moving in, to surround the specimen and his ally...

"Is that a robot!?" Jim exclaimed.

As me moved in closer, the ally to the specimen did, in fact, appear to be a robot? It had the face of a man... but it's body was metallic, and weaponized…

All of the sudden, the screeching sound of an incoming missile could be heard ripping through the sky!

"What the-"

BOOM!...

"Officer...Officer, wake up! General Fury just arrived. Come on, get up."

As my eyelids began slowly peeling open, I came to realize I was dreaming…

Theses dreams, again though!? Why these dreams? They're recurring, but there also seems to be multiple stories. If there are, or even if not, the story doesn't even seem to be in order... Sometimes they seem set in the life I know. Other times, they seem completely fantasy... 

At one point, I had thought that these dreams were a clue. The 'signs towards my destiny'. If I followed the clues, I thought, this could all be over quick. Sometimes still, even now, I feel like they must mean something. I mean, they have to mean something, right?

By this time thought, I've gotten out of my bunk and made my way to the showers. The shower is probably the one place where I can "think" the most clear. I'm not so sure why that is, but it is. And as I was showering, and still dwelling on these dreams, the thought hit me-

What if I'm looking at these dreams the wrong way?

The point of view I had been taking was that these events could be real, and that I was going to live through them. But what if I'm not? And I'm not saying that I have lived through them - though that's definitely still a theory I'm not discrediting completely - but what if they are just… me witnessing life from someone else's view?

When we were in the Savage Lands, hearing the Phantom, and Rex talking about the Multiverse Theory, it got me thinking- if there are infinite Ea's and Arda's, then perhaps there are infinite "me's" as well?

If that is the case, then what if these dreams were just me seeing another me, from some other "Ea"? I've never heard of A.R.G.U.S. before these dreams. Never heard of Area 52, Specimen 52, none of that…

As I cut off the shower, to finish getting ready, I had one last point on this line of thinking…

If there are multiple "Ea's", multiple "me's"... Then maybe the dreams are in fact things that "I" had done, am doing, or will do? Not "me", per say, but another "me", in the Multiverse...

But if I can see through their eyes… Why? How?

Everytime that I had thought that I had answered one aspect of my working theory- countless more questions, and holes in my theory, would arise…

I had to force myself to table this thought, though- for another time. I had finished getting dressed and had began heading out of the barracks. The team was meeting in the cafeteria, and I had been told Alpha Flight, and General Fury, would be meeting us there soon.

Walking into the cafeteria, I saw Phil first. He had a hot plate of ham and eggs ready for me. Whether this is the Phil I've known, or some alternate-Ea version that Barry and I have landed upon, Phil is such a good man. The rest of the team was sitting at the same table, and were all face down in their plates.

Not long after I had sat down, and was enjoying some breakfast, Guardian, Aurora, and Shaman lead General Fury into the room.

It really was nice seeing his face. I know it's just an LMD, or at least I always assumed so, but seeing his face was reassuring in and of itself.

"We're missing some people." General Fury said before anything else. With several wrinkles on his brow, he asked with some extra authority in his tone this time, "Where's Hal, Eddie, Kraven, and the rest of the team?"

Not really knowing where to begin… I remembered something that Barry had once said to me, and I said it this time, to General Fury, "We've got some catching up to do…"


	7. Who's in this room?

Chapter 35: Who's in this room?

Valentine's Day, 1942

General Fury, Barry, and I were lead by Guardian into a secured briefing room. The rest of the team joined with Alpha Flight for various training exercises. I think that Alpha Flight just wanted to show off a bit… though, they are pretty incredible.

I was told that Private Stewart eventually started showing off his skills too. But using his ring skills… which we are trying to keep a secret and all… We'll get back to this...

When we entered the room, the four of us sat at a table, and Barry and I told our story of the past week. The Guardian was wide-eyed, and astounded, for all of our tale. It was kind of funny- every detail of the story was mind blowing to him... 

But, General Fury, on the other hand… he seemed to almost be expecting to hear everything we would say.

When we had finished giving our briefing, General Fury immediately wanted to see the stowaway. General Fury hinted that Reed may have been involved with the plane's mysterious auto piloting. I couldn't understand how, though. The closet he was in was empty, and the only thing Reed had on him was some weird helmet…

I mean, sure a helmet... But, I mean, there were no antenna, or lights, or anything… It just looked like some sort of expensive, helmet?

The four of us had left the secured room and were led to Reed's holding room. When we approached the door, Reed was rocking impatiently; crouching in a far corner. He looked so distraught- manic in a way…

General Fury probably shouldn't have been allowed in first…

Guardian quickly restrained General Fury, while Barry and I got between them and Reed. Reed just shrieked and cowered further into the corner.

"What did you do!?" demanded General Fury. "Tell me!"

It was then that Reed's screams of terror, slowly shifted into the hysterical cackling of a madman!

"This went better than I had expected," Reed taunted, "This is even better than home!"

What does that mean?

In all of this, Guardian had called for Shaman. When Shaman arrived at Reed's holding room, he began chanting a spell that rendered Reed asleep…

"A hysterical man can only speak gibberish," Shaman prophetically stated, "But a resting mind is bound to speak more clear."

With Reed asleep on the floor, Shaman placed his hand over Reed's eyes, and began to chant another spell. Shamans eyes rolled back, and he intensified the tone, and the pace, of the spell. Reed began violently jerking his head about, but Shaman was able to keep him under control.

Shaman finally ended his chanting, and removed his hold of Reed. His eyes returned to focus, and he began to tell us,

"This man is not from Arda... He is not from Ea… 

This man has crossed many branches on the Tree of Life. He has made many stops before landing on ours…

He meant to come here. He was expecting to…

Who is, Thawne?"

Everyone's jaws hit the floor…

The silence was broken by Guardian asking, "Anyone? Who is this, 'Thawne', eh?"

"Another Speedster," Barry finally answered. "We don't know much about him- other than he's got some friends, and some powerful connections. What does Thawne have to do with Reed?"

"The man's dreams showed him speaking to another man he called, 'Thawne'." Shaman explained,

"They were discussing an upcoming mission. That there would be a group of soldiers. That the soldiers would steal a plane from them... but that if he snuck aboard the plane too- then Reed could, 'leave' his 'obligations here'.

Reed was given a helmet by this, 'Thawne'. He was told that the helmet would allow his thoughts to control things…"

The freaking helmet!?

"Where's the helmet now?" I interrupted to ask.

"It's just down the hall," Guardian said, "We've been trying to evaluate the thing all night, but we haven't had any luck…"

"Let me see it!" General Fury demanded, "Shaman, you stay near me… I've still got questions for you."

We left Reed asleep on his holding room floor, and re-locked him inside. A pair of soldiers were guarding close by. As we made our way down the hall towards the helmet, I saw a man - that I had seen before - through a window.

He was in another lab room that we were passing, and at first I could only see his back, but as we passed he turned his head and I could see his face…

"Guardian, wait," I stammered, "Who's in this room?"

"That's one of the mutants we helped give asylum to- after a Hydra prison camp was liberated last summer," Guardian stated, "You may not have heard about it? But this subject was not only a Hydra prisoner, he also appears to be a former subject of some other sadistic genetic experimentation. Something we haven't seen from Hydra before, at least...

His name is James. Good name if I don't say so myself, but it's James… Howlett? I believe. Rumor says he's quite a fighter."

"I'm sorry- I just thought maybe I had recognized him for a moment. Let's keep moving," I said.

I didn't want to go any further into it at this time, but I definitely recognized "James Howlett." In the original timeline, he was an X-Men known as "Logan"… must be a middle name?

He was ferocious. Ultimately, he was one of the last mutants to fall…

While he would be tremendously valuable to us now, I knew that we needed to keep our current focus. The helmet would lead us to a more direct path forward. More so than trying to recruit another soldier. So I left it be. 

We continued to the lab. A few scientists, and engineers, were still trying to examine the helmet. After a few futile attempts at examining the helmet myself, General Fury took the helmet and began looking it over. He quickly found a slot in the helmet, and he then removed his finger tip- to insert an exposed attachment into the helmet…

Like I said- I always assume he's the LMD…

After a few seconds of probing the helmet, General Fury confirmed that the helmet was made to direct the users thoughts into commanding nearby electronics. That it allowed the user to control these electronics…

"So Thawne's handing out 'robo-controller' helmets to alternate, evil versions of people we know… Great," Barry snarked.

"Looks like it," General Fury said in a low, quiet voice, "Fortunately, I know where he's been hiding out at. Only bad thing is, we haven't seen him in weeks…"

All I could say was, "Let's just hope he's not out looking for it."


	8. Why I accepted the mission

Chapter 36: Why I accepted the mission

Shortly after we had started further assessing the helmet, Guardian got word over his communicator that Private Stewart had revealed his new toy, and was causing quite the scene…

We all hurried out of the lab, and we made our way to the training grounds. Sure enough… Private Stewart had projected himself some sort of giant robot, and was hysterically laughing while destroying the "enemy" targets!

"Why didn't you tell me he had the Lantern Ring!?" General Fury furiously barked at me, "He isn't the Green Lantern? Hal is! You didn't tell me about this! Where did he get that ring?"

"Well, I didn't know how much you wanted me saying in front of Guardian," I tried to explain.

Though, nothing I could have said would have been good enough for General Fury. But I really figured that with company in the room, it was something that should be held close to the chest… I thought that Private Stewart and I were on the same page with that...

When Private Stewart had finally looked over, and saw General Fury and I standing there, he quickly lost his smile and ended his projection. I'm sure he could tell by the expression on both of our faces that he probably shouldn't have brought out the ring…

General Fury demanded that we all gathered to provide a FULL debriefing on our time in the Savage Lands. Of course, Alpha Flight was again happy to provide us with another room. They really were a pleasant bunch- though, I definitely could have gone without another debriefing at the moment.

We ended up gathering in yet another debriefing room, and I began telling General Fury everything. Honestly though, the only important things that I had excluded the first time were the Lantern Ring, and the stories told to us about the Lazarus Pit. When I got to the part where the ring flew to Private Stewart, I let him tell it from his point of view.

After Private Stewart had explained what happened, General Fury stated, "So the ring chose you then, Private Stewart… And you do seem to be a natural at using it. I remember it taking Hal much longer to master it..."

"What are you talking about, sir?" Private Stewart interrupted to ask. He looked so confused. "What are you talking about? Hal mastered this ring? He never had this ring?"

"I mean the ring chose him, right? And he made it out of the Savage Lands," Phil began to argue, "I think he deserves to know what we're really doing. What were really up against! He's in it now- he deserves to know… same as Rex and Rick!"

"Ah, to be honest," Rick then cut in, "If it's that General Fury, Barry, and the Officer, here, are all from the future… well, I guessed that one a while ago."

Rex chimed in to add, "Well I definitely didn't suspect that…"

Rick continued, "It's why I accepted the mission that ended up taking us to the Savage Lands… I mean, I figured that if y'all are from the future- you have to have survived all this, right?"

"Yeah, not exactly," Barry was quick to point out, "I've seen that the future can't be changed. We came back here, and then I went back there and then even further forward! Nothing changes."

"Not to mention that them being from the future would have no bearing on their survival in the present," Rex must of felt obligated to state.

"We don't know any of that yet, for sure," Phil optimistically declared. "All we know is that we haven't done enough to change the future yet.

We need to get back to our base, sir. It's been six months. Have we made any progress on locating the Cosmic Cube, or with Team DARK?"

Private Stewart seemed to have hit a mental breaking point by now, "Please! Somebody explain to me what's going on! Rick's talking about time traveling, and Phill!?.. Cosmic Cubes... who is Team DARK!?"

We were still in the secured briefing room, and Phil was right- Private Stewart deserved to know…

So you already know what happened next… I told him everything.

No one else said a word, not even to try and stop me. I made it quick, but I caught all parties up on the truth of the mission at hand.

Just as I was finishing the story - and before Private Stewart could even ask any follow up questions - there was a frantic knocking on the briefing room door…

KNOCK KNOCK! KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Guardian slammed open the door and informed us that there has been an attack on one of the bases' outposts. Alpha Flight was leaving the main compound to go and investigate the break in. They wanted to know if we wanted to tag along.

As Guardian put it, "We suspect that it was a paid attack by C.T.E. General Fury, I'm sure that you might recognize them. They're the northern counterpart to A.I.M., after all.

Recently, they've been using a local crime boss named, Egghead, to try and drive away their competitors. They may have mistaken the outpost for a private location, and attacked it to send a message…

Either way, we're leaving shortly. Are you coming with us?"

General Fury would task me, Phil, Rick, and Barry to join Guardian, Aurora, and Snowbird. Shaman was set to come too, but General Fury wanted him to stay back, to further interrogate Reed. I tried protesting that this was their fight, and that we needed to head home; however, General Fury declared that the potential intel we could gather at the outpost was valuable enough to delay our departure home.

He said that A.I.M. is known to be working with C.T.E., and that A.I.M. had recently been sighted off the coast of the US northwest. He also said that there were rumors of another A.I.M. Island based there. If the attack on the outpost was involving C.T.E., then perhaps a clue could be found as to what they are doing.

The eight of us got prepared for the mission, and soon gathered on an Alpha Flight equivalent to a Quinjet. Guardian piloted the craft while Rick sat copilot. The rest of us took our seats and buckled in for the trip. The outpost wasn't far, so it wouldn't take us too long to get there.

I understood that this mission could be important, but I really just wanted to go home. I wanted to see Jim, and Bruce. I know it isn't 'home', home… but at this point, it's the best I've got…

At least this mission should just be a fast "look and get back." The outpost wasn't overrun, it was just vandalized from what I had gathered…

As we started to descend, I could see the outpost from a window. There was a group of men on the roof? I asked out loud, "Ah guys, I thought this was an un-manned outpost?"

"It is," Aurora said, "Why do you say that?"

Before I could answer- a wall of bullets rang out from the outpost, and splattered across the plane!


	9. I can't get out

Chapter 37: I can't get out

As we made our way in for the landing, bullets ricocheted off of the side of the plane! There was a clearing next to the outpost, and it was the only place to land amongst all of the surrounding trees. These attackers seemed to be concentrated on the roof. They had a stationary, mounted machine gun that they were using to try to take us down!

"I see four targets on the roof," Rick updated from the cockpit, "Maybe a handful more down by the front gates."

"What could these people even be after- at this place!?" Phil shouted out, "That's a pretty big gun for not expecting anyone to be here!"

"This outpost stores the servers that hold all of the PalmerPym Tech research," Guardian finally told us, "They contracted with us about ten months ago- to protect all of their research... 

Apparently they had some concerns about keeping it locally in Star City, California, and they felt the information was safer north of the border."

"PalmerPym Tech?... Well, apparently they were wrong," Barry said. He seemed agitated, "How do you think they knew what was here?"

"We haven't heard from anyone from their offices in months," Aurora snapped back, "Maybe there has been reason to fear keeping their information in-house. They're the only ones who know of this agreement, outside of Alpha Flight- and I know you're not implying that one of us is a mole?"

It was then that Guardian finally brought the plane to the ground. The plane jerked as it landed, and Guardian began commanding, "Ok, Aurora and Flash, you guys lead the way! Next out are me and Snowbird…

Officer, Rick, Phil- you all stay here and guard the plane. Take out anyone you can. We'll radio for you after we take out that heavy gun. Eru's speed, everyone!"

The plane hanger door then dropped down, and Barry ran out before it even hit the ground. Aurora flew out next and took to the skies. She's quite incredible…

Not only was Aurora nearly as fast - she would say faster - as Barry, but she could also fly, was stronger and more agile than an average person, and most impressively- she could manipulate and shoot blasts of light energy... from her hands!

Guardian ran out next, and wouldn't you know it- he flies and shoots something from his hands too! When Guardian got close to the enemies on the rooftop, his hand lit up like Jim's do, and he began blasting a beam of fire at the roof!

Of course, Snowbird can also fly, but she instead shapeshifted into a Canadian timberwolf and charged towards the outpost!

Rick stayed in the cockpit to radio back to base. Before moving in on the outpost, Guardian had radioed that we were under attack; so now Rick was providing status updates to our backup.

"They're sending in Judd and Sasquatch now," Rick called out through the communications system.

Phil and I had taken positions at the open hanger door. We were firing at the enemies near the front gates. They were in tactical clothing, and armor. They used mid-sized, fully automatic machine guns, and the way that they moved- it showed that these people were professionals...

At the outpost, we could see Barry, Guardian, and Snowbird breach in through a side door. Aurora had cleared the villains from the roof. We couldn't tell if she had taken them down, or if they had merely just retreated back inside, but Aurora had landed on the roof and was providing blasts of cover fire towards the enemies at the front gate.

BOOM!

An explosion ripped a hole out of the side of the outpost! Running out from the hole was a large… man-Rhino? And it was followed by a man that looked like he was crossed with a Porcupine!?

Barry quickly caught up to the Porcupine, and Guardian made his way after the Rhino! Next out of the hole came a woman that looked like she was covered in ice…

She had a blue tint to her skin, and hair was as white as snow. The woman ran out of the hole and began heading for the plane! This, killer frost - woman, was shooting icicles from her hands! Aurora spotted the ice-woman and flew down to intercept her!

Seemingly out of nowhere, an armored vehicle then burst through the front gates, and our enemies all began retreating back towards it! When the vehicle came to a stop, out of a top hatch appeared a bald man- whose head undoubtedly makes this man, Egghead. He pulled out a strange weapon and began shooting it towards the outpost!

The weapon shot out disks? The first disk he shot hit a tree before the outpost... Once the disk had secured itself onto the tree, a light activated, and then the tree disappeared! It just vanished!

"Did you guys see that!?," I screamed into the communications system, "Get back to the plane now! We have no idea what we're up against!"

Guardian abandoned his pursuit of the Rhino, and Barry did the same with Porcupine, and they both retreated back to the plane. Aurora tried to fly back to the plane, but an ice blast had frozen her foot to the ground!

BLAST! BLAST! BLAST!

Egghead continued to spray those disks across the premises… Trees, automobiles, fencing, parts of the outpost itself- all would vanish if it was hit by one of those disks.

"I can't get out," Aurora yelled, "I'm stuck! My light blasts won't melt the ice!"

"I'm coming, Aurora," Guardian assured. He was flying faster than I'd seen from him yet! His hand was focusing a blazing blast of fire towards the clump of ice entrapping Aurora's foot...

Egghead was aimed right at them…

BLAST!

Just as the disk was sure to hit Guardian - who by now was covering Aurora - a stunning white wolf leapt in front of them both! Within an instant... the wolf was gone.

"Narya!" Guardian cried out. He then snapped his head directly towards Egghead, "What have you done!?"

Guardian took off, directly after Egghead! When he saw Guardian coming; however, Egghead retreated back into his armored vehicle…

The vehicle took off, and sped away from the outpost! Guardian followed after; blasting the vehicle with fireballs! Though, the blasts had little effect on the vehicle, and Guardian soon fell back to regroup with the team.

Just as Guardian was returning to the outpost, Sasquatch and Judd were arriving as well…


	10. Keep pushing me

Chapter 38: Keep pushing me

When this mission was eventually over, I went back and found the security footage- from the cockpit of both of the planes flown during the mission. I guess I had just wanted to see what had happened- from Sasquatch's and Judd's point of view…

...White noise…

...Static sounds...

"I figured they'd be gone by the time we showed up..."

"Yeah, so at least I don't have to go full Sasquatch-mode on'em," Walter chuckled.

"Hey, at least you can scare people with your, physical changing… My one-time change left me looking like a dwarf!"

"You know, Eugene, dwarfs were once revered as master craftsmen. They had Kings, and mountains filled with treasures. Perhaps that magic didn't shrink you… maybe it just revealed some of your buried lineage?"

...Static sounds...

"So now I am a dwarf!? Well, at least I'm not… not all… covered in hair!" Eugene taunted back; clearly becoming irritated by Walter's musings...

"Oh come now, Eugene. You don't need to get all defensive with me. If anyone relates to your plight, of course you know it's me. Now, come on. Clearly the 'bad guys' have all retreated-"

Eugene interrupted laughing, "Well, duh… They knew we were coming!"

...Static sounds...

"I was going to say," Walter sighed, "It looks like the team is inside the outpost. Maybe they're still in the craft?... But I don't see anyone out here."

"Let's check the plane first," Eugene suggested, "Then we can make our way inside."

...Static sounds...

...Sound of a hatch opening, and then closing…

...White noise...

When Walter and Eugene had left their plane, the plane's security system was no longer able to record their conversation. However, when they got to our plane, that security system was able to continue recording their conversation…

...White noise...

...Static sounds…

...Sound of a hatch opening, and then closing…

"...ever call me a 'dwarf' again, I promise you, Walter."

"Alright, Eugene. Alright… Hello?"

The two began searching the cockpit of the plane.

...Static sounds...

"I guess they're all inside..."

"It appears so, Eugene. Brilliant observation…"

"I promise you, Walter. Keep pushing me…"

Walter was laughing. He then suggested, "Come on... Let's get inside the outpost and see what's going on. It was only fifteen minutes ago that Rick had said that, that truck had showed up…"

...Static sounds...

...Sound of a hatch opening, and then closing…

...White noise...

By this time- Phil, Rick, Barry, Aurora, and myself were, in fact, inside the outpost. After Guardian had flown off after Egghead and his crew, we all rushed to the outpost to try and figure out, maybe, why all of this was happening? And also, if there was a way to know what had happened to Narya?

Barry and Aurora had began rushing through several filing cabinets full of data and research. Rick and Phil were working the computers; trying to see what all may have been broken into. I decided to look at the security tapes…

I rewound them to the start of the initial break in, and then I began taking notes on a nearby piece of paper-

"Vehicle pulls up and drops off Rhino, Porcupine, and several others

Vehicle leaves

Assailants breach main door to outpost

Porcupine goes directly to a computer unit

Porcupine inserts a device into the computer unit

Porcupine does something for (2) minutes at the computer unit

Porcupine removes the device and hands it to another party… this party not here when we arrived

Parties are searching filing cabinets- taking files

Rhino breaks into a vault hidden behind some filing cabinets

A vile of some sort is retrieved from vault

Rhino hands vile to unknown party with Porcupine's device"

I do remember that when I had viewed this- I stopped watching the tapes for a moment to call out to Barry and Aurora,

"Hey guys, have you checked that back corner?... Behind the filing cabinets?... Looks like Rhino found a safe!... There was some sort of vile in it?"

I continued watching the tapes, and the notes continued-

"Outside, Egghead's vehicle returns

Unknown party goes to, and enters, Egghead's vehicle

Vehicle leaves again"

From that point in the notes - until we would arrive at the outpost - nothing else that happened was really noteworthy…

Egghead's crew went through more filing cabinets, but they took very few files. They did set up the heavy gun on the roof- so, I suppose it would be fair to imagine that they were at least expecting some company to arrive, eventually...

After the unknown party had left in the vehicle, it really just appeared like the remaining thugs were simply waiting for that eventual company to arrive.

They were doing the same sort of scattered, without aim, searching that we were doing now- while we were waiting on Guardian to return, and Sasquatch and Judd to arrive. The communications in the outpost had been sabotaged, so we couldn't reach out to our back up, or to the base… at least not until going back to the plane.

We all knew that Aurora was not going to leave the outpost until we found something. So there was no way that we were going back to the plane just yet... So we all stayed; searching for that something... 

Eventually, I would watch as Sasquatch and Judd landed, and then searched our plane…

...I guess, maybe one of us could have probably gone back to the plane…

After a few moments, Sasquatch and Judd exited the plane, and began making their way towards the outpost. From another camera, I could also see Guardian returning towards the outpost. The three would meet up with each other, and I could watch, and hear them on the security cameras…

...White noise...

...Static sounds...

"You tell me that Eru made the dwarfs one more time… I promise to Eru, Walter…"

"Don't tell me you've never heard of the tales of the- Wait… Do you see that, Eugene?"

"I do… Hey, Guardian! Guardian, plane's empty... Where's everyone else?" 

"They must be inside the outpost" Guardian said, "All of the Emissaries of Evil left in that vehicle with Egghead…"

"Ah man, you always get all the fun, Guardian," Judd joked.

...Static sounds...

...White noise...

A noteworthy observation… Guardian did not respond to Judd. He simply walked past him and Sasquatch, and lead them into the outpost's main door. I mention it's noteworthy-ness because of what Judd would blurt out, when first entering the outpost.

...Although, I do suppose It was going to come up anyways, soon enough- so we might as well have gotten right to it…

After entering the main room, and looking over everyone present, Judd asked aloud, "Where's, Narya?"


	11. Who's watching Gotham?

Chapter 39: Who's watching Gotham?

Cross Technological Enterprise, C.T.E., was founded by one, Darren Cross, at the end of May, 1941. Before that though, he once was an heir apparent to Dr. Hank Pym, founder of Pym Technology. Cross, and fellow scientist, Dr. Raymond Palmer, both were angling to become partners with Dr. Pym- for an expansive new business proposition. In the end, Dr. Pym would choose to partner with Dr. Palmer, creating the newly branded, PalmerPym Technologies.

Cross was not happy... He, and a few underlings, left the new PalmerPym Tech, and they moved north, to southern Alberta, Canada. There they founded C.T.E., and since- have quickly become one of Arda's top bioengineering research institutions. When pictures emerged of Cross and Egghead - meeting at a local restaurant - rumors began spreading that Cross was up to far more than just researching his, "shrink-rays".

And, speaking of "shrink-rays"...

That's apparently what Dr. Pym, and Dr. Palmer, were researching as well. In December of '41, Dr. Pym had submitted for a patent on what he named, Pym Particles. These particles could be used to, in theory, shrink and enlarge a person. And not just slightly. Again, in theory, the subject could grow to several stories high, or be shrunk to the size of an atom…

When Guardian had told us that Alpha Flight had been working with the JDC, and specifically General Fury, it didn't come as a surprise. I can remember from the original timeline that Dr. Hank Pym had been one of the SSR's leading scientists. Just before the aliens would invade, Dr. Pym had patented these same 'Pym Particles'. The SSR was trying to develop them to be used in combat situations, but they were never able to finish their work...

So now, just like the X-Men are now a reality - far ahead of "schedule" - Pym Particles, and their possibilities, are too around early, in 1942… These aren't just subtle changes... These kinds of changes make no sense? Right?

Maybe - as if some sort of relief from all of this depression - if Pym Particles are now a reality, and possibly even successfully weaponized.. Perhaps that is what Egghead was shooting? Perhaps then, Narya may still be alive?

At the Outpost, we finished searching the area and then returned back to the base. Another quite ride, as no one spoke on the short flight back. We had searched every inch of the campus, for any signs of Narya. However, nothing was found. We were returning to the base- less one team member, and with nothing else gained... This was becoming an all too familiar of a theme. Guardian though, he seemed to have been hit the hardest. The loss of Narya seemed, personal to him.

Once we returned to the base, we debriefed with both teams, and then everyone was given the night to process, and to try and work through, the loss of Narya. General Fury, Barry, and I, however, stayed back for a few more minutes, in the briefing room- to plan our next move. We needed to try and confirm the ties between C.T.E. and A.I.M...

General Fury would eventually explain that the JDC had a new base in Star City, California. Back in January, the JDC had purchased an old jail- from Star City Mayor, Oliver Queen. In late 1940, Mayor Queen had built the city a new prison unit- to be able to contain 'powered' individuals. As a front for the JDC, Bruce Wayne purchased the old jail, and publicly had it converted to the new research and development company, Wayne Enterprises West Coast Division.

"Wait… When, again, did this happen?" I asked General Fury.

"End of January. Stark wanted in on it, of course - for the publicity - but I needed him to stay in New York." General Fury answered.

"So if it's only been a few weeks, what resources do we have available- at an old jail?" Barry questioned. 

"Oh, Bruce has spared zero expenses thus far," General Fury smirked, "We are, quite well equipped…

We also have been building a bit of a team out there…

Publicly, 'The Batman', leads a team that the press has named, The West Coast Defenders."

I briefly interrupted, "Wait, if Bruce is in Star City- then who's watching Gotham?"

"What?" … General Fury always knows how to look at you like you are the dumbest person he has ever encountered... "You don't think Iron Man can do what he do, too? Like Barry said, 'It's only been a few weeks'..."

I tried to give General Fury an equally devastating "evil-eyed" stare in response… Pretty sure it did NOT land with the same affect. I eventually then continued asking him, "So who all is on this 'Defenders' team?"

"Batman brought Constantine with him. Of course, John wasn't going to let Bruce NOT let him come, but-" General Fury started, before I interrupted to ask- "What about Clea?"

"Are you goin' to let me finish?" … General Fury then continued, "Clea stayed at the Sanctum. The Ancient One is still missing, so Clea stayed to assist the Sorcerer Supreme. Only Bruce and John came out west.

Once they got out there- their first potential recruit was a local vigilante named, the Hood...

The Hood was a part of a trio of vigilantes- local to Star City. They were three archers... The Hood, the Green Arrow, and Hawkeye…

And, NOT the 'Hawkeye' that I remembered…

The Hood appeared to be the leader of the group…

In short, Bruce and John couldn't convince the Hood to join them. When they approached him with their offer, he declined- refusing to chance exposing himself. In his place, however, he did give his approval for the Green Arrow, and Hawkeye, to join us.

Hawkeye is a local girl named, Kate Bishop. She was an orphan-turned-troublemaker, living on the streets in the Glades. One day, she witnessed a brutal mob hit. After that, she taught herself how to use a bow, and she made it her mission to fight evil. The local papers started calling her 'Hawkeye', because of her deadly accuracy… and the fact that she used the rooftops- as her perch to watch down over the city.

Now, the Green Arrow… Well, his name was familiar to me too… But again, not how I remembered… While he's not the same man that I had known then, which is partly why I'm so interested in Reed, now... The Green Arrow's name is, Clint."


	12. They don't suspect a thing

Chapter 40: They don't suspect a thing

"Barton!?" Barry asked, in a way that demanded confirmation.

"That's him," General Fury replied… with one of his trademark looks that makes a person question why they ever spoke up to begin with...

He then continued, "Apparently, Barton was the one who first found Bishop. They were both hunting the same prey - some rival archer named, the Magician - and they ended up running into each other. After a small skirmish, Clint was impressed with the young one. He took her under his wings," General Fury briefly paused- to relish over his own pun, "But, together they brought down a few other crime bosses… Though, the Magician is still on the loose…

At this same time, the Hood was operating in Star City, as well…

See, the Hood had actually been operating in Star City, since the early Fall, of 1940. He just sort of showed up randomly... It was actually around the same time that Star City's own 'Golden Son', Oliver Queen, returned from being marooned- on an island for five years…

… And he thinks that just because he was elected mayor- that I don't know who he is...

But anyways, the Hood ended up teaming up with Clint and Kate, and together they have been working the streets of Star City for some time now."

"So what's our plan then?" I started to theorize, "We all go to Star City, team up with the West Coast Defenders, and try and find the rumored A.I.M. Island?"

"Well now, that would seem to be a smart move, Officer. Wouldn't it?" General Fury snarked in reply…

… To quote something fitting, that I once heard said about General Fury, "Smug bastard."

Tomorrow morning we would leave for Star City. Most of us were, at least. Rex would be returning back to the main JDC base, in upstate New York. Alpha Flight agreed to provide the air escort out of Canada, and to both of our arranged destinations. 

"We're also bringing with us two representatives from Alpha Flight... By the way," General Fury informed us. "Shaman and Aurora are tagging along… Doubles as both: a public show of support between both the WCD and Alpha Flight - since the WCD are backed by the JDC, their partnership with Alpha Flight presents an even stronger public show of support between the Allies - But also, because Shaman and I still need to spend some more... quality time together- with Reed. And, not to mention that Aurora is still very motivated to avenge Snowbird's disappearance…"

The three of us eventually ended our "Meeting of the Minds". We left the briefing room and joined the rest of the team for dinner. After eating another amazing spread of some, familiar, food- we all went back to the barracks to sleep. Once comfortable in our bunks, we all laid down for our final night away from home...

...

… "They don't suspect a thing, Sinestro. Make sure you tell that to Thawne," a voice was pleading. "The ring wasn't my fault. You and I both know that… I've done everything that was asked of me..."

"Well, you have brought me the Officer," Sinestro replied.

My vision was blurry, but as it came into focus, I could see that Sinestro was talking to Reed!? I tried to get up and rush towards them, but I was bound at my wrists and ankles. They had me sitting in a chair- in some sort of abandoned office building…

I tried to scream for help, but my mouth was covered by a strip of masking tape. Only faint, muffled grunts could escape. I tried thrashing about, with all of my strength… But my muscles felt like I was surrounded by quicksand.

"Look who's decided to join the conversation," Sinestro taunted, "Looks like we meet again, Officer. And again, without Thawne…"

Sinestro was grinning widely - when he taunted me - but his expression quickly turned to a violent rage! He charged towards me, and pointed his ring directly at me! A bright yellow build up of energy, began charging from the center of Sinestro's ring! The energy then unleashed directly towards me!

Just as the energy was about to reach me, my body jerked- as if falling. My eyes shot open, and I could see that I was still in my bunk... I'd startled myself awake from another dream, again…

… Reed…

I put on my boots, and I hurried out of the barracks. I raced down the hall- towards the corridor where Reed was being held. As I turned the corner to Reed's holding room, the two guards that had been stationed there were unconscious on the ground…

Even from the end of the hall, I could see that Reed's door was, clearly ajar. I picked up a handgun from one of the unconscious guards, and slowly cleared into the holding room. It was empty… 

… The helmet!...

I ran out of the holding room, and towards the lab where we were holding the helmet! Unconscious guards and broken glass dotted the way- from one holding room to the next. I just knew that the helmet would be gone- before I even got to the lab…

… And, of course it was…

The last place I knew to check was the hangar. If Reed has escaped, and if he has the helmet, then Sinestro's plane is his best bet at getting out of here. I ran out of the lab and towards the hangar. More unconscious guards, and debris, marked the way.

As I approached the entrance to the hangar, I could see that the doors had been broken open. One side of the door remained shut in place, while the other side of the door had been blown off of it's hinges- onto the ground beside it. The moment I ran through the threshold, I watched as the hangar's retractable roof was closing….

… I was too late.

How could Reed have pulled this off? I mean, he had to have had help, right? Yes, I get that his helmet allows him to control electronics… but not even one person could stop him? Physically, Reed is more similar to a suitless Tony Stark, than he is to a, She-Hulk! He had to have had someone helping him...

On my way back to the barracks, I encountered General Fury. He had said that he was awoken- when he had heard some commotion. So now, he was following the same trial that I had.

"Where did he go?" General Fury asked me.

"I don't know, sir... He got the helmet, he got the plane… and now he's gone."


	13. What's your name, soldier?

Chapter 41: What's your name, soldier?

There was no way I was going back to sleep after all of that…

… And honestly, I didn't care to try and resume my last dream anyways. Like, what was that? And that's what I'm dreaming- while Reed's making his escape? I just don't get it… There's no way that these dreams don't mean something.

By now, the rest of the team had been woken up as well... Of course Reed would escape, and just hours before we'd be heading back home too… Whoever this Reed is... whatever goodwill I had felt - for his familiar resemblance - was now gone. First the plane, and now this... it was starting to feel personal.

I don't know if it was out of frustration for the situation, or just from the desire to just leave it; but everyone went ahead and just prepared for an earlier departure back home...

Because of Reed's escape, General Fury, and Rex, would be staying behind to investigate the base. Rick would also not be joining the rest of us going to Star City- as he would be taking Rex's place going back to upstate New York. After investigating the base, General Fury and Rex would also then return first to update New York. After debriefing with the JDC, General Fury would then, finally rendezvous with us back out west.

So the 'Star City flight' would end up being me, Barry, Phil, Private Stewart, Aurora, and Shaman. When the time came, we all loaded our things onto the transport home. We then boarded the plane, and prepared for the flight. General Fury told me that when we landed, we should expect a rather low key reception- by just a handful of SSR soldiers. He said that once we had landed, we would then, discreetly be escorted back to the team at WCD HQ.

"Bruce and John are looking forward to seeing you, Officer," General Fury told me before we departed, "A lot has happened in the past six months… Team DARK has had more than a few adventures…

With everything else going on, I haven't really had a chance to get you fully up to speed… Good thing John loves to tell stories, right?"

With that- we bid our farewells. I knew it wouldn't be long before we'd all see each other again, and I was definitely ready for the plane to get going.

During the flight; I sat next to Phil. The trip took a couple of hours. Phil and I talked for some of the flight, but eventually, we both fell back asleep…

...Brief, but uneventful- and therefore truly needed, sleep….

Phil and I woke up, just as the plane began its descent into Star City. We came to rest on a landing pad at Star City General Hospital. Once we had off-loaded from the plane, we were all quietly ushered into two all black, armored vehicles. The escorts then quickly left the hospital, and made our way to the old jail.

"This side of town sure reminds me of Gotham," Phil noted, "Dark, dingy, and I feel like I'm about to get mugged."

"That's because you're in 'The Glades'," explained one of the escorting SSR soldiers, "And you'd be correct… This is the biggest crap-hole in California."

"What's your name, soldier?" Phil asked him.

"First Sergeant Wilson. Slade Wilson, sir. I've lived in The Glades my whole life. And honestly, sir, the city… Arda, would be better off without it…"

First Sgt. Wilson had requested to be assigned to his WCD detail. He's been stationed here since the start, and he is the commanding officer of the other SSR personnel here on assignment. On our way to HQ, the conversation somehow ended up bringing up our own personal 'weapons preferences'… First Sgt. Wilson's choice struck me as interesting... His was a sword.

When we finally reached the old jail, the perimeter gates opened, and our escorts came to a stop near the front door. A small procession of friendly faces, stood at the entrance to greet us. 

Luckily for them, the weather wasn't too bad today. It was cold, but the skies were clear. I say that because I never heard anyone radio that we were arriving... and they were already out front when we did... So, who knows how long they had been standing there waiting for us?

As we parked, I could see both John and Bruce through the window. I was so relieved to see them. They were among the crowd, and standing with - I'm assuming - the Green Arrow, and Hawkeye. The moment that both vehicles emptied- Barry, Phil, and I immediately went to go see our old friends...

"Well look at this sorry lot we have 'ere," John said with a smile that stretched across his narrow face. He held out both of his arms, imitating an open invitation to hug everyone.

… Phil went in for the first hug…

I went up to Bruce and told him, "You have no idea what all we've learned, my friend. It's so good to see you."

"I was going to tell you the same thing, Officer," Bruce said, as we both shook hands and smiled at one another. I think he missed us as much as we've missed him. And I had no doubt that he did have a lot to catch us up on…

...Remember, it's been about six months that we've been gone from here… From the perspective of the people that we had left here...

"When do we get started then?" I asked him.

"I'll have the soldiers get everyone's things down to the living quarters," Bruce began to explain, "If everyone wants to follow me inside... We'll go down to the central control room first- where we can exchange proper introductions with the rest of the team. After we get settled, John, and I, will brief you on the current mission at hand."

"Yeah, come now," John chimed in, "We've really outdone ourselves with this place… You know, Bruce let me put in a bar? Yeah, pity though- it's only big enough to store one bottle… I call it- 'Mini-Josie's'."

Bruce lead everyone through the base, and down into the central control room. My first observation- Bruce was definitely the one to design this place. Talk about a Bat-Cave 2.0. However, my next, most immediate observation was- the WCD has another member. One that General Fury had failed to mention…

… One that, based on the original timeline, could only mean that things had gotten so much worse.


	14. I had been spared

Chapter 42: I had been spared

"You shouldn't be here?" I blurted out.

… Apparently, I'm now quoting Reed...

… But who I saw, standing near the main computer in the central control room, could only mean one thing…

From what I can remember of the original timeline- the SSR's secret project, to develop nuclear weapons, was moving at a snail's pace. That was- until one single, catalytic event...

The project was code-named 'Manhattan', due to being based in Manhattan, NY. It was started sometime in August, 1942, and it was spearheaded by both Dr. Robert Oppenheimer and D. Jonathan Osterman. While the project had been progressing slowly; one day, a spaceship fell from the sky…

June 16, 1945 - approximately twenty-five years after the first alien landing on Arda - another ship blasted through Arda's atmosphere, and came to rest in the deserts of Nevada.

This landing was not publicized, nor was any evidence of the landing spared. The alien's technology would be scavenged by the 'Manhattan Project', and that ultimately would lead to the most important breakthroughs towards nuclear capabilities.

One month later, on July 16th, the SSR would test its first nuclear-capable warhead. And, although Dr. Osterman was lost in a freak accident... the bomb had worked. Another month later from that test, and the SSR would make the ultimate, two decisions that would doom the future of humanity…

If that alien would have never landed on Arda… Maybe the bombs wouldn't have been built? Maybe they wouldn't have been used? Maybe the annihilation of Arda could have been averted?

I only know of this event, because by the time of the eventual annihilation, my security clearance allowed me access to these files. I was granted access on the basis of trying to find something in the alien tech that we could try and use against our executioners. By that time, though… Even if I had found something- it was still too late. 

The alien though… it was code named, "John Jones". No pictures were in its files. Apparently like it's tech, it too was roped into working on the Manhattan Project…

I wouldn't meet this, "John Jones", until that fateful day that the portal would first appear over Japan…

When I did finally meet him- he appeared to be just an average, everyday "Nuclear Scientist Joe". I mean- he looked polished, and educated - as most scientists of his degree would appear - but there was nothing extraordinary about him…

… However - and as I have come to understand well - appearances are most often misleading... 

In truth, the alien was a being known as the "Last Martian". He was a bipedal, male hominoid. His skin was green, and his build imposing. Among his many absolutely extraordinary abilities, chief among them was shapeshifting.

I never really had a chance to speak with him- to know why he crash landed here… or why he even decided to help us? His life would be taken when the portal first opened.

As the invading aliens poured into Arda's skies, the Last Martian was a leader in the charge-back. He took to the skies to meet our enemy… and in doing so- he ensured that he would be one of the first to fall…

So when I saw the man - whom I had once met as Dr. John Jones - standing in the center of the West Coast Defenders' control room… I was shocked, angry, and dumbfounded.

"What do you mean, Officer?" John began to chuckle, "Dr. Jones has been with us from the beginning. He came… I mean, well... I'm sorry, Dr. I'm sure you'd like to speak for yourself?"

"Yes. Thank you, Hellblazer," Dr. Jones began, "My name is Dr. John Jones. I am a nuclear physicist, and I was chosen for this assignment on a recommendation-"

"From who!?" I interjected to demand. I knew that I was coming across as hostile... but knowing that Dr. Jones was directly correlated to - and potentially the main catalyst for - Arda's death, I wanted to get to the bottom of what was going on here.

"General Fury, Officer," Dr. Jones answered. He showed almost no emotion- from his expression, to his tone… nothing. I'll give it "serious", maybe… No. Just, blank...

"Figures," Barry quipped. I could tell by the expression on Barry's face that he also remembers exactly what I do.

"What's the problem, you two?" Bruce inquired.

"Do you know who he really is, Bruce?" I bluntly questioned.

In that moment, Dr. Jones began to morph from his "scientist" appearance, and revealed his form as the, "Last Martian".

… He then taunted Barry and I...

"I told you my name was, 'J'onn J'onzz'. You never asked me how I spell it…"

… Still no expression...

"And now that I've answered your question- answer mine. How do you know about me?"

With his question, he pressed a button on the control panel- and from the floor raised a large table with surrounding chairs. Bruce corralled everyone to the table. We delayed introductions to continue on with the elephant in the room…

"I assume that you know who we are, and what we're doing here, correct?" I confirmed with J'onn.

"Yes. But how do you know who I am?"

"In the original timeline," I started to explain,

"You crash landed on Arda, about two months before we dropped the bombs that would herald the coming of our own extinction. It was your tech that helped us realize said nuclear capabilities…

Now tell me- What brought you to Arda? How long have you even been here?"

"Well I can tell you, Officer, I did not 'crash land' here. Long ago, I was stolen from my home, and smuggled here. My people were then slaughtered, as a means to deter me from longing for home…

I did not want to come to Arda… And now I have nowhere else to be."

"What happened, J'onn?" Phil asked.

J'onn told us, "Thousands of years ago, at the dawn of civilization…

A man - from a future distant, even to that of our own - fell from the skies; over what you, today, call Egypt. In time, that man became the Pharaoh, Rama-Tut. He would come to rule over the largest kingdom of men; since the time of the Last Alliance.

This civilization became so advanced, Rama-Tut was able to make contact with, and travel to distant plants… one of which being Mars.

Back then, Mars was not too different from Arda. Though our population was much, much smaller- we too hard mastered farming, and irrigation. We had even just started to see the beginnings of a more modern civilization...

Until one day, a ship appeared on the horizon…

My people had thought that the 'gods had come'… 'We had been saved'…

These 'gods' set fire to the air…

When the flames had burned everything to a red dust... for seem reason- I had been spared. And I was on Arda."


	15. Before I was spared

Chapter 43: Before I was spared

Can we first take a moment to recognize the growth in Phil? I mean, this is the same man that - when I first told him that Jim could set his hand on fire - asked me if I was high on Vertigo... And now, he just witnessed an alien - shapeshifted to appear human - shapeshift back into its natural, green alien-ness…

And without even flinching - he becomes the first of us to reach out and ask J'onn for his story - and even with a tone of empathy! With my blatant, and Barry's quiet hostility towards J'onn… without Phil, our first day in Star City would have probably left a fairly sour impression.

Checking on the rest of the team-

I've stated that Barry is in a similar mindframe as I am. He's tense in his chair, and has a dead stare into J'onn's eyes...

Private Stewart appears to have lost his voice. He hasn't said a word since we arrived. I do feel for him though- he may be the most lost to everything going on. He literally went from being an average-man, SSR soldier… to being assigned a mission that would propel him into a world of the strange, and the unknown...

… Portals, dinosaurs, monstrous creatures, time travel…

I can't stress enough that it's been a week, in total, since "we" first arrived in the Savage Lands. I know it's confusing with the "six months" that have now passed, but again - those of us that were there - we've physically lived through just six, going on seven, days. I'm really not surprised that Private Stewart has lost his ability to communicate…

...I'm sure that the "mind-blowing" he's steady been receiving has acted to, in a way, lobotomize him… 

… Here's to hoping he pulls through…

Our friends from Alpha Flight were focused with a great intensity. Not hostile, like Barry and me, but they were listening very closely to everything that J'onn had to say.

Across the table-

The Green Arrow and Hawkeye were sitting to one side of J'onn. They both were aimlessly looking around the room. They've clearly heard this story before…

John Constantine was sitting on the other side of J'onn. He had a drink in one hand, and a smoke in the other… I keep waiting for him to take over J'onn's story… but he's, so far, contained himself.

Bruce is sitting away from the table at the main computer. He appears to be reviewing some sort of police files? I'm sure we'll get to that here soon…

But J'onn was still telling us his story-

"I was in the Temple of Rama-Tut, and I was lying on an alter… alone in an otherwise hollow room.

Eventually, Rama-Tut himself, came to see me. He told me that I had been spared, because it was me that had lead them to what they had been looking for."

"Now we're getting to some relevant bits," Constantine encouraged, "Tell'em what they were after!"

"Don't tell me it was a fancy-looking box?… Funny looking writing, scribbled along its borders?" Barry asked with dread in his voice that made even Bruce momentarily stop what he was doing.

"It was," J'onn answered…

… Do Martians not have emotions? He shows flashes of personality when he's telling his story… Kind of. I just don't understand it. I'm sure that basically being a robot has its benefits, but it's so disorienting in tense moments… aside from even coming from a green alien.

"The Cosmic Cube?" Private Stewart asked.

… Not lobotomized… Duly noted, but he was also not correct…

"No… It's another 'Mother Box', isn't it?" Barry asked; still with a tone of heavy despair.

"Come on now, Flash," Constantine chided, "We've got the rest of the night. Look, Hawkeye and Arrow are already sleepin'. We're not goin' anywhere, any time soon… Enjoy the ride, mate! Details end up being important!"

"John's clearly had enough," Phill joked.

...I think he was just trying to break the awkward silence that was starting to creep over the room, as we all stared at a less-than-sober Helblazer…

J'onn then continued-

"It was, Barry. I found the Mother Box on Mars. It was buried deep inside a cave. Confusingly, the cave had appeared to have never been disturbed- as a thick layer or both dirt and dust had settled over every surface… And yet, the Mother Box appeared to have only recently been placed inside...

… There was not a single spec of dust on the Mother Box. It was pristine and immaculate…

I picked up the Mother Box, and soon- a vibration began buzzing from within. A blue light then began emanating from it…

The ground began trembling, in unison with the Mother Box's vibrations…

Suddenly, the blue light shot from the Mother Box- directly into the ceiling of the cave. A solid beam of blue light, like the spotlight of the Bat-Signal, only blue…

Finally, the light retracted back inside the Mother Box. On the ceiling, there was nothing. It was exactly as it was before the beam of light; every spec of dust was still in its place…

I exited the cave- Mother Box in hand. As I was returning to my village, I looked up into the sky…

There was a flurry of blue lightning, high above the clouds. The storm continued until a single yellow flash, bolted from the sky. It shot directly from the blue lightning storm, down to the horizon in front of me. Afterwards, the blue lightning seemed to completely dissipate…

Moments later is when the ship appeared on the horizon. I had taken the Mother Box back to my village elders. When they saw it- they thought that I had brought back the gods…

They called all of our people out to the village center. 'We should rejoice', they told us. For the 'gods had come to save us'…

As the ship approached closer, a wall of unfamiliar beings could be seen marching on the ground beneath the ship. Behind them, nothing but smoke...

By the time that we knew that these were not our gods… It was too late…

The wall of unfamiliar beings had turned into a wall of unstoppable enemies. The smoke was revealed to be the effect of the enemies scorching tactics…

Before I was spared, the last thing that I can remember was dying...

While protecting the Mother Box, I had taken a devastating blow, and was recoiling on the ground. And that's when I saw it… the 'Fire Starter'.

The enemy suddenly started to retreat. They all stopped fighting, and quickly fell back towards their ship…

A blurry yellow flash - similar to the yellow bolt, which had shot down from the sky - began sparkling all around the village. The yellow sparks, the, 'Fire Starter'... They eventually ignited the air…

...In an instant, everything burned...

I closed my eyes, accepting of my fate. However, fate was not yet finished with me."


	16. Unsuccessfully, I must add

Chapter 44: Unsuccessfully, I must add

"Like I said- the next thing I knew, I had woken up on an Arda."

J'onn paused for a moment. In the brief silence, Private Stewart openly sought to confirm, "So a 'Mother Box' and a 'Cosmic Cube' are NOT the same thing, right?"

"No!" John slurred, "One is… well, it's 'cosmic' in nature… And the other one is from Hell!"

...

"But there's two, though?" Private Stewart again sought to confirm.

"We also think there's one more than that, too," Bruce turned around from his chair to inform.

"So, three?"

"... Yes."

"Listen!" John stood up to interject, "Let the Martian finish his story... And then we'll get to all of that. Now, J'onn, please…"

J'onn then concluded his story-

"When Rama-Tut spoke to me, he told me that I had completed a part of some prophecy…

He said that over the course of time; three boxes had been sent to Arda. They were said to be sent here from Apokolips- or as John calls it, 'Hell'.

I would come to understand that ruler of Apokolips, a being known as 'Darkseid', made the Mother Boxes as a way to bridge the barriers between Apokolips and Ea…

… To one day bring forth his army, and take ownership of Ea…

But the Mother Boxes would be scattered by the many ancient wars on Arda. They were eventually lost forever to time. Rama-Tut had even said that two had been taken off of Arda...

… However, he also said that the prophecy foretold that the two would one day be returned…

...'One by space'... 'One by time'....

The third Mother Box was then foretold to only arrive 'when the time had come'. It was said that although it was already here, on Arda… The third Mother Box was hidden deep in the molten core of Arda- where no living being, nor machine, could survive to find it...

It was said that the third Mother Box would only reappear- when the other two Mother Boxes had returned."

"So when Rama-Tut got the Mother Box that you had found, what about the other one?" Barry asked, "The 'One by time'?"

"He had it."

Every one of us - hearing this story for the first time - immediately had our jaws hit the floor. I'm also pretty sure that all of our eyelids had completely remove themselves from our faces.

"So what about the third one, then?" Private Stewart asked.

… I think he's starting to get acclimated…

"It never appeared," J'onn said.

He then, finally, concluded his story-

"When they took the Mother Box that I had found, they said that they had completed the 'One by space'. Rama-Tut would say that he already had the 'One by time'. The two boxes were constantly experimented on, by Rama-Tut's second in command- an armored being whom called itself, 'Savitar, God of Speed'.

I believe he was what we would now call a 'Speedster', but back then… Then there were only 'Gods' and 'Men'...

But, Savitar - and his loyal acolyte, En Sabah Nur - were able to use the powers of the Mother Boxes to perform unspeakable deeds…

… En Sabah Nur himself was even experimented on by Savitar…

The Mother Boxes awoke a dormant gene within Nur, and he would transform into an extremely powerful mutant- one of the first of its kind. He would then take the name, Apocalypse, in honor of Apokolips.

Angered by the failure of the third Mother Box to arrive - and seeing the success that Savitar found with his own 'selfish' experiments - Rama-Tut grew contempt for his company...

A falling out would take place, and Savitar would one day vanish with one of the Mother Boxes…

Years later - and after having to defend against many revolts - Rama-Tut one day too, vanished with the other Mother Box…

Apocalypse and I would fight many battles against one another. He saw his mutation as the next step in humanity's evolution. So he sought to conquer mankind in the name of mutant supremacy…

… But then, one day too, he would vanish…

I had been being kept locked inside the Temple of Rama-Tut, until the day that he left. When he fled, I was free. But still, in freedom I hid my true identity. I stayed in the shadows, and I tried to never let a 'Men' see me 'shapeshift'…

… Although, unsuccessfully, I must add... I just really hate that the rumors spread as 'reptilian'... 

But, eventually, I too was then forgotten to time… That is, until about a year ago.

That was when I would first encounter, General Fury…"

"General Fury?" I questioned aloud… My immediate thought was that General Fury wasn't here a year ago? He wouldn't come back for a few more months?...

… And then I remembered that I was thinking of the LMD…

… Although it does currently, publicly stand in for the real General Fury, it still does not negate the fact that the real General Fury was very much still alive, and active a year ago…

So I tried to play off my moment of ignorance, "I mean, how, how did you run in to General Fury?

"I was in Egypt… I was following some rumors that said Apocalypse had returned…

General Fury found me, and he approached me one day. He asked me to come back to the United States. He said that he knew that I had a certain type of experience that he would be needing…

I wasn't sure what he meant, but something about him… It convinced me to join him… And then, about six months later, I would come to realize exactly what he had meant.

Stationed at a classified SSR research facility, I received a special delivery from HQ… A Mother Box… The same one that you recovered. We have been trying to understand it ever sense...

At the turn of the year, our sensors detected the same energy signal of the Mother Box, a few hundred miles off of the US Pacific Northwest coastline. So General Fury recalled me from my assignment, and he informed me that I would be a 'founding scientist' for the West Coast Defenders-"

"Thank you, J'onn," Bruce stood up, and he walked over between Barry and I, "Now that you know why J'onn's here, let me tell you what we're doing here…"


	17. So it was a set-up?

Chapter 45: So it was a set-up?

"About two months ago, around the same time that the energy signal was detected, a fringe group of anti-mutant extremists started demonstrating out here, in California. At first, they were barely making any noise…

It was just a handful of protesters with signs, and maybe a microphone, or two…

… But these mobs have sense, rapidly increased in both their presence, and in their aggression. Recently even, these anti-mutant rallies have been daily occurrences...

... The protesters have kept their signs, and their microphones... but they have now, also added weapons... 

… And also recently, an equally fierce opposition group has been appearing at these anti-mutant demonstrations, and even holding their own pro-mutant rallies...

Just two weeks ago, one of these pro-mutant demonstrations was being held in Gateway City, a suburb of San Francisco. The rally was being hosted at the newly built, Essex School for Gifted People-"

"Essex!?" I dumbfoundedly interjected...

… As in Dr. Nathaniel Essex- from the letter Bruce found at the bank? It's not as if "Essex" is a common last name, right?...

"That's correct," Bruce confirmed. He then continued to explain,

"Dr. Nathaniel Essex, founded his 'School for Gifted People', last November. It's a blatant rip-off of Professor Xavier's School; however, where Professor Xavier is a public figure, no one has ever seen this Dr. Essex…

... That pro-mutant rally was set to be his first public appearance. However, at the start of the rally- a mutant, who the press has sense named 'Nitro', showed up…

… He wasn't there to support the mutant cause. He had the ability to self-detonate...

… Sixty-two bystanders… Ten of them were children attending the school…"

"Oh my, Eru!" Barry gasped.

John started to interject as well, "Oh, I'd like to get my hands on that ba-", but Bruce cut him off to continue,

"Almost immediately after the attack, Dr. Essex's primary foundation, Essex Corporation, released a new, experimental 'miracle drug'... They call it the 'Mutant Cure'..."

… The "Mutant Cure"... This definitely doesn’t sound good… Nor is it even something that I remember from the original timeline?...

"There are certain cables, throughout the government, that have already come out publicly- in strong support of passing this drug, as a means of 'necessary force' in combating the 'mutant threat'. Pennsylvania Senator Stern, is the most vocal of these strings…

... Just before you arrived back, the press leaked that Senator Stern was even developing a 'Mutant Registration Act'...”

… “Mutant Registration Act?... Again, this never happened in the original timeline...

“According to reports, Senator Stern is using the bombing - at Essex School - as a principle justification for the need of the 'Mutant Registration Act'. The ‘Act’ is rumored to include a mandatory registration list, and jail for non-compliance… It also will allow for the 'Mutant Cure' to be used for the purposes of capital punishment…

Now, with all of that said… here's where things get a little more interesting-

We traced some of the DNA evidence that was left behind in Nitro's blast crater…

… He wasn't a mutant…"

"What, wait?" Private Stewart contorted his face while asking, "So it was a set-up?"

"This one catches on quick, doesn't he!" John blurted with a laugh.

"That's what we think," Bruce again confirmed, "If the bombing hadn’t happened, the public wouldn't have provided the support needed for these government cables to even attempt to pass either a 'Mutant Cure', nor a 'Mutant Registration Act'..."

"But I thought you said, 'self-detonate'?" Barry asked, "I figured that meant, 'no bomb'?"

"You're assumption was correct," Bruce confirmed yet again, "It was something other than 'Men' or 'Mutant'... It was something not native to Arda… The DNA didn't match, not even partially, to anything in the SSR database…

Now, again, more interesting to me is-

Why would an ‘alien’ self-detonate in the middle of a crowded school? Whose purpose does that serve?"

"Well,” I began to muse, “I'd say that in that these events, when something happens of this magnitude- what were the immediate actions that followed the tragedy?... Two weeks, and already there's a 'miracle drug' - which also happens to be made by the victim of the terror attack - and a potential Mutant Registration Act'...

… Let me ask you, Bruce, since you haven't brought it up yet… The letter you found- in the bank vault… Have you found anything that correlates back to that?"

"Funny you should mention that letter," John chuckled, "Turns out that the 'Mr. Luthor', the intended recipient of that letter, is a primary campaign donor for all most all of these 'anti-mutant' fascists!"

"John's right," Bruce continued confirming, "LexCorp is a top financial donor to many of these politicians; including Senator Stern."

"... And LexCorp definitely means both Hydra, and A.I.M.," Barry declared in a soft, defeated breath.

"... And every other one of their heinous tentacles," John affirmed… This time with no laughing- only anger in his voice.

"... And don't forget the potential, second Mother Box that appears to have returned to Arda," J'onn reminded us all… 

… Monotoned- is more pleasant than this Martian…

… But he too was right…

“What’s the correlation here, though?” Aurora eventually spoke up to ask, “So a nefariously-connected businessman, who also happens to be one of the richest men in Arda, is a major financial donor to several prominent politicians- all of whom happen to be currently pushing an anti-mutant hysteria…

They may have conspired to to perform a false-flag, terrorist operation at Essex’s Shool for Gifted People - to help them in pushing their anti-mutant propaganda and legislation - but I... still…

Shaman and I were sent here because of the connection between A.I.M. and C.T.E. We were brought in, we were told, because of the threats that this new “Quantum Technology” could bring- If it were to fall into the wrong hands…

… Like it already has…

So I am sorry, but I am failing to see the connection between tech that yields the ability to shrink subatomic, and a budding civil war in the United States…”

“Well, Aurora,” John started to smirk in a blatantly condescending manner, “Let me explain-”

“Not now, John,” Bruce prevented John from saying anything more, “I think there has been enough of an information overload for today. We should all get something to eat, and our new arrivals can then take the rest of the evening to get acclimated. Tomorrow morning we can start connecting some more of these dots.”

“But I thought that tomorrow we were-”

“Enough, John. Like I said, we can pick this conversation back up tomorrow...”


	18. The next mission?

Chapter 46: The next mission?

What, in Eru's name, was all of that? Right?

I mean, I don't even want to recap what all I had just been forced to digest…

… As the indigestion I was already feeling that night was certainly not from the dinner!

I remember that night very well... It was the first time that I had gotten to speak with Jim, since I had gotten back from the Savage Lands. 

Everyone, in the WCD central control room, had left, and went to the cafeteria for dinner. After eating, I left the cafeteria and went to my room...

… Bruce really had spared no expenses - just as General Fury had said - and we all had our own dorms. I was definitely happy about that! The living wing of the base was actually, quite similar to the living area at JDC HQ in New York. It even had a secured telephone line too.

The first thing that I did when I got into my dorm- I locked the door behind me, and I walked over to sit down on the side of the bed. Somehow, I still hadn't forgotten the number- so I picked up the telephone, and I called Jim.

Ring-Ring! Ring-Ring!

"... This is, Hammond."

"Jim!"

"Officer? Is that you!?"

"It is! And it's so good to hear your voice, old friend! There for a while now, I was starting to think that I might not have ever heard it again!"

"Well that's kind of a risk you take- when you volunteer to go to some inner-Arda, and fight dinosaurs!"

We both laughed and exchanged pleasantries for a few moments. Even though this isn't the same Jim that I once knew… He actually, really, still was...

… Back then - and even now - Jim and Phil were basically the only family I had. I mean- everyone that I work with, I consider them all to be my family too… but these two were more like my brothers- more so than just another cousin...

… Or in the case of General Fury- an estranged uncle….

After those light moments of laughter; another, much longer, conversation on current events would follow. Jim and I exchanged stories of both the Savage Lands, and the Second Great War. I told him about Reed, and Alpha Flight. He told me about a couple of joint missions with some British superheroes…

… Apparently, Jim- Human Torch, Miss America, She-Hulk, and Iron Man had briefly teamed up with their British equivalents, MI-13, for a few raids on some Hydra compounds in Europe. MI-13 was publicly led by a trio of superheroes: Captain Britain, Union Jack, and Spitfire. After a few publicly-successful missions, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called the collection of heroes, "The Invaders", and the name stuck, and has stuck- even to this day...

… But then, Jim would say something next- something that would specifically catch my attention…

"But after we got back from our latest tour, in Latveria, we received a notice that Blade had been trying to reach out to the base. Apparently, he was trying to find Constantine?"

"Wait! When was this?" I interrupted him to ask.

"Oh, only two weeks ago maybe? Around the Gateway City bombing, I think. We got him in touch with WCD right away, of course."

"Do you know what it was about? What Blade needed Constantine for?"

"Ah, I'm not too sure, Officer. It was something to do with the mission out west. I feel like he had said the name, "Sinister", but - I mean, because it wasn't my mission - I didn't ask any more questions."

… Mr. Sinister?...

Last I had known of Mr. Sinister, Bruce and John had told me he that he had disappeared from the Hand warehouse, that one night. That was the last of it? And something about a "Legacy Virus"...

… maybe this was what John had wanted to tell us, before Bruce cut him off?

But I believed Jim when he said he didn't ask anything further, so we moved on in the conversation. Jim had said that they had received word that morning, that General Fury would be arriving to the base the next day. At that time, they were all going to debrief, and then continue preparing for their next mission…

"And what's that? The next mission?" I asked Jim.

"I'm sorry, Officer. I can't… But, listen- we'll be seeing each other here soon. I'll be able to explain everything to you, then."

So with that, we exchanged our "good-byes", and then we ended our call…

…

...It's always the same thing…

… I learn a little bit more, but then I know so much less. I think I'm starting to solve this puzzle, but then I realize I'm not even halfway there…

… And for what?...

We haven't made any real progress towards the goal. We have, in fact, appeared to have made things relatively worse. I'm hoping around from place to place, and everywhere I go- I'm either following these worsenings, or they follow after me…

But I know I can't fall into doubt. So I have to keep moving forward. If Barry says that there is no changing what has happened in the original timeline… Then there is no point in using the Speed Force to try and flee anywhere else in time. This is the life that we now have. This is now our home. We have to figure out a way to save it…

… And we will. I know it… But how?... Now, that was the question...

… And I don't yet, quiet have the answer…

But anyways- after my call with Jim, I decided to lay down in my bed and get some rest. I'm still not quite sure if it was from the plane ride, or the avalanche of new information that I had been told - but I was exhausted. I laid down under the blankets, and I really was just hoping for a good night's sleep. I was really hoping for none of my random dream-vision-nightmares…

… And wouldn't you know it… I got my peaceful night's rest…

And thank, Eru! Because the next day was most definitely not the classroom-style lecture on the rest of the situation that I had expected...


	19. This should definitely go well...

Chapter 47: This should definitely go well…

I was abruptly awoken because of Barry's violent shakes! Well, his violent shaking of me! He had grabbed my shoulders, and he was sternly saying, "Wake up. Officer! Duty calls, early. Time to get moving."

As we made our way out of my dorm, and down the hall- to the central control room, Barry did his best to catch me up to speed,

"I don't know. I couldn't sleep- so I was just walking around the place…

And then I saw Bruce, suited up as 'The Batman', running down the hall! I stayed back, but I followed him! He was running to the central control room. Once he got there, he started conferencing with J'onn and Constantine...

… I couldn't make out what, all they were saying, but I could tell it was urgent…

And J'onn must have some sort of Martian-telepathy to detect people, or something- because he ended up calling me out for being around the corner!

… But they said that the mission that was planned for today was going to have to happen ahead of schedule…

… They said they couldn't do anything else but act now…

Clint and Bishop are already en route to the mission. J'onn was leaving then- at that moment. Alpha Flight was on the way to the central control room too. So Bruce sent me to get you."

"What about Private Stewart? I asked, "And, Phill?"

"We still don't know if Private Stewart can control the ring when things get tough. I know he has. On one mission. And it was vital to our success…

… But he still needs more time. He hasn't even figured out how to activate the suit yet? I mean… we can't even call him, the 'Green Lantern', without his suit, right?"

"Why do we even call him the 'Green Lantern'?" I asked jokingly… I mean, it's not like he's got an actual lantern… So, I mean…

"You know, I don't know, Officer… I never thought to question that before… But, Phill… Phill's already there, I'm sure."

By this time we were entering the central control room. We were greeted by John with an enthusiastic, "Morning! Early birds and worms, mates. But instead of worms, we've got fascists on the menu!"

… John's feeling good this morning… But Phill wasn't there?...

Aurora and Shaman were both suited up and ready to go. The biggest reason I am thankful for these two, so far - at least by the way they carry themselves - with Rick back in New York, these two are the "collected professionals" that the team needs…

Bruce was finishing loading-up his utility belt. He started heading towards a hallway that I had yet to explore, and he told everyone, "Everyone, follow me. We're taking the Quinjet, and the landing pad is this way. Phill's getting it ready, now."

… Ah, that's where Phill is...

… And, great idea for fighting evil, by the way. Abruptly wake up before dawn, be rushed to a meeting point, and then hurried into a plane. Have no idea where you're going. Not any idea on what you're supposed to be doing. It's serious enough that every WCD hero - less Private Stewart, and actually plus, a squad SSR soldiers - has been mobilized…

… This should definitely go well…

We got to Quinjet, and everyone took their positions. Bruce piloted, with Phill, and Clint, to his side. Bruce then told us we were flying to Gateway City. We were going to Essex's School…

"Why are we going there?" Barry asked before I could.

"Dr. Essex was spotted on the grounds, earlier today." John started to tell us. He had a mad grin on his face, and a dark hollowness in his eyes. He told us, "He was said to be with the fake-mutant, Nitro…

… We're going to catch, and expose those rats! We're going to show them for what they really are!"

…

Ok, so we now know what the plan is. Kind of. We know the premise of the plan… We, at least, know why the plan came to be… That's a start.

We also know the players we brought with us: Me, The Flash, Phill, The Batman, Constantine, Aurora, and Shaman. Apparently, Green Arrow, Hawkeye, and… The Martian?... They were already there- waiting for us to arrive. The SSR soldiers were en route via armored vehicles…

… We had some people with us, but that still didn't mean that we really had a plan… We were just kind of going into this, really…

The Quinjet approached the school within no time, and we soon rendezvoused with the rest of the team. We gathered along the outside wall of the school. It was a thick stone wall, stretched about two people high. The wall surrounds the entire perimeter. Cameras dotted the line; however, there were blind spots in certain areas...

… We had no idea what was behind that wall…

… It's supposedly, only a school. But two facts: one, the students are, in theory, all mutants, meaning powered - and two, Essex Corporation is rumored to be deeply involved in genetic experimentation…

… There's not only, probably, a heavily-armored security detail… But there's also, probably, a decent size mutant army, as well…

… There could be…

… We don't know… And that's kind of my point…

"I've got a bad feeling about this'" Shaman warned, as we all approached the wall.

… What!?... The medicine-man that hasn't said a word in two days!... He's got a bad feeling, he says…

"Unfortunately, Shaman, it's a little too late for warnings," Bruce ominously declared. He was looking up into the sky. From behind the full treetops appeared a small drone. It flew out and hovered for just a moment. Long enough to get a good, full view of us…

… All of us…

… Forget if they knew that we're coming… Now they definitely know that we're here!

Within seconds of the drone appearing, a loud siren blared across the school's campus! The drone zigged and zagged in sky above us for a few seconds, and then it sped off towards the interior of the complex!

"Looks like the welcome party's coming!" John maniacally yelled…

… He was super ready to go…

He then requested, "J'onn, clear a path for us, would ya?"


	20. Wait for my signal

Chapter 48: Wait for my signal

So yeah, J'onn was definitely telepathic…

… He raised his right hand, and he closed his eyes. With his fingers flexed wide, he began straining as if trying to lift an impossible weight…

The stone wall began to vibrate, and some small rocks, and debris, began shaking free. A tear appeared in the middle of the wall, and whole chunks of stone began spreading further apart from that center point. Within seconds, a clearing had been made in the barrier, and the removed chunks of stone were simply free-floating in the sky next to the wall.

"Thanks, mate!" John smirked. He then lead the SSR soldiers through the gap first...

… Next in were Barry, Shaman, Green Arrow, and Hawkeye. Phil and I were the last to clear through the wall…

… Well, J'onn and Aurora were technically the last of us inside of the school's campus, but they didn't rush through the opening that J'onn had created…

… J'onn had closed the wall after Phil and I had cleared, and then he and Aurora took flight- to provide us with aerial support. They flew over the wall, and then straight towards the compound.

Those of us charging on the ground had divided into three teams. One heading to the south end of the complex, one to the northwestern corner, and the last to the eastern wing of the complex. There was no opposing security detail, thus far. So we all just stayed in the shadows, and we quickly reached our targets.

To the south was Green Arrow, Hawkeye, J'onn, and half of the SSR soldiers. To the northwest was me, Phil, Bruce, John, and some of the SSR soldiers- including First Sgt. Wilson. And the third team was Aurora, Shaman, Barry, and the last of the SSR soldiers. We all made it to our intended destinations, and in unison, we all breached into the school itself…

… No security on the outside, probably should have made us assume that there would be more, or at least some, security on the inside…

… Because there was… A lot more…

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

As soon as my team entered through a side door, we were immediately greeted by a thunderous eruption of gun fire! Everyone scattered inside as quickly as possible, and we took cover behind the corners of the foyer - leading to the main hallway. The bullets were being fired from the other end of said hall…

The Batman chucked some smoke grenades down the hall, and the rest of us volleyed bullets back towards the enemy.

"John, you didn't bring that Dragon's Breath grenade, did?" Bruce asked.

"Matter of fact, I did! You sure I should us it, now?"

"Do it!"

John then chucked this Dragon's Breath grenade down the hall… 

… A tremendous, orange and yellow, flame quickly engulfed the entirety of the far end of the hall. The flames spread so far that they began to encroach back upon the foyer!

"Dragon's Breath?"

… Phill never did get that question answered…

"Alright, team- wait for my signal."

Bruce then began making his way down the hall. The gunfire had ended; however more could be heard coming from other points in the complex. When Bruce vanished into the smoke, those few seconds felt like they took forever…

… He soon reemerged, and he motioned for us to proceed down the hall…

… Once we had cleared past the wall of smoke, we saw the few charred remains, of a handful of bodies, in the lobby at the end of the hall. The end of the hall was a meeting point between two other hallways. There was a lone door along the wall with no hallway. The entire area was singed, and still smoldering, from the heat of John's grenade.

First Sgt. Wilson would lead the other couple of SSR soldiers down one of the two new hallways. Barry said he would clear down the other...

. ... Barry?...

... Bruce was going to pick the lone door's lock, and then he, Phil, and I would clear into the next room…

… But of course, right on cue…

"Where do you think you're going? Did you not see the 'No Trespassing' signs?"

From the hallway that the SSR officers were set to clear, four figures emerged from a room several feet down…

… There was a slender, blue, female mutant. There was another blue, seemingly younger, male mutant. That one had a tail. There was a man. He looked to be, maybe in his early twenties. He carried a staff in one hand, and held a few playing cards in the other. And lastly, a face that by now, I've already become familiar with- Block Buster. He was a member of the Mutant Liberation Front…

… Last I saw him, he had vanished at the bank like the rest of his crew!

… How did he?… Anyways…

The four came walking down the hall towards us. They walked with a confidence that oozed that they were feeling no threat. As they approached, the blue, male mutant "poofed" from the middle of the hall, to directly in front of us! A cloud of blue energy erupted- to consume the mutants body, and then it appeared closer to us, and the cloud regurgitated the mutant back to reality!

"Nightcrawler, I presume?" John asked the mutant. He had a similar confidence in asking that- that the four entities had, had walking down the hall...

When the mutant merely smiled back at John- John turned to the blue, female mutant, and he asked, "And I'd bet that makes you, Mystique?"

The blue, female mutant smiled, and then morphed herself into looking exactly like John! When she spoke, she even sounded like him, "Hello, Constantine. I'm surprised you could even find your way out of Gotham."

"Well, Mystique… When the Devil's ex is out causing ruckus… You know, I'm the guy they call! I'll be honest though, I didn't expect to see you here… Or your, and Azazel's, spawn."

… Mystique then returned to her natural, blue form…

"You will not speak his name to me, John! You know what they did to him!

… That's why we left Gotham. That's why we came here…

… And that's why we can't let you escape from here!"

She then immediately kicked John in the face, dropping him like a sack of potatoes! Nightcrawler then started proofing around, landing hits on everyone- but then disappearing before retaliation! Block Buster charged towards us, and Barry flashed to meet him head on. The last of the four, the guy…

… The man… No, actually, the mutant… somehow he was charging the playing cards - in his hands - and throwing them like projectile bombs at us!

"Everyone hold your positions!" Bruce commanded, " When I give the order, were going to breach through this door, and try and move in for a better position against these mutants!"

Bruce used a small charge, and he popped open the door in the lobby. The threshold opened up into a large laboratory. There were tables filled with various medical tools, and several big machines, all across the laboratory floor. Lights, hoses, and ventilation ducts ran across the ceiling…

… Standing in the middle of the laboratory were two beings...

… The Blood Brothers…


	21. What are you doing here!?

Chapter 49: What are you doing here!?

Let's pause for a moment…

The Blood Brothers… They've been mentioned once before…

… Bruce and John had said that the Blood Brothers were with their uncle, Baron Blood, that night at the Hand warehouse. The night Blade killed Deacon Frost…

… Mr. Sinister was also there that night…

To recap the most important lesson from all of that night, in one sentence- Vampires are elusive, and if you don't see the body- they're more than likely coming back…

… At least that appears to be the case with the Blood Brothers.

Now, the real question should be- how did I, specifically, know that the two beings in the next room were the Blood Brothers?

… I had never seen them, myself. Bruce and John had told me their story- after the fact…

… But the answer to that question is incredibly simple…

… As soon as Bruce threw open the door, John looked in, and he saw them. He recognized them and shouted, "The Blood Brothers!? They're supposed to be dead!?"

… Let's also remember that at the moment there's still a lot of fighting, and exploding playing-cards flying around…

John and I were still in the lobby. We were shielded from the card-blasts by the corner between the lobby and the hallway that the mutants were in. We were facing each other. Between our continued volleying of gun fire back towards the mutants, John had yelled that - about the Blood Brothers - and then I had shouted back to him,

"What did Blade need to tell you two weeks ago!?... Please tell me it's not that the vampires have moved west!"

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Well… Funny you should mention that!"

… Great!…

Bruce had already charged into the room by this point. I saw him throw a few Batarangs towards the Blood Brothers, but then he moved out of my line of sight into the room.

"John! Get in there!" I shouted.

"Not till after you, Officer! But trust me, I've got somethin' special for them two!"

BOOM!

… An explosion could be heard from inside the laboratory...

"Both of you go!" First Sgt. Wilson demanded, " Me, Phill, and the boys can keep the mutants back. They aren't bulletproof, and The Batman needs backup! Plus, Barry's already running circles around these mutants! Literally!"

… I remember seeing Barry charge at Block Buster… but I also remember that Barry was originally on the 'east team'?... When did he?...

… Anyways, I ran in the room first, and John was right behind me. Inside, Bruce was clearing through the room, but the Blood Brothers were gone?

"Where'd they go?" John asked. He had the tone of a child that was disappointed that they were unable to get a new toy when visiting the store... 

"I don't know," Bruce said, "One of them threw a small explosive at me when I ran in. I shielded my face from the blast, and when I uncovered my eyes they were gone. You two came in right after…

… They can't have gotten far… I just don't know where they went?

There's this door over here, but it's just a closet space… It's as if they vanished into thin air?"

"Well, we still need to do something about those mutants out in the hall?" I said.

… Of course, the irony…

CRASH!

Block Buster busted through a wall, and into the laboratory!

"The Batman! What are you doing here!?"

"Awe look, he must be a fan of yours!" John laughed to Bruce, "I think I'll try and win'im over to my team!"

… John had that look again…

… He pulled a weapon out from under his trenchcoat, and he blasted Block Buster with a direct hit!

… The weapon looked like a cross with a handle at the bottom. Or if you're imagining a handgun- but with a cross starting at the end of the barrell, and traveling down towards the hammer. It was gold, and it appeared to be overlain with different jewels...

… After blowing away the smoke lingering off of the end of the gun, John said, "Burn in the Dark Dimension…"

…

Outside in the hall, Barry and the SSR soldiers had been able to subdue the other three mutants. The card thrower was knocked unconscious, as was Nightcrawler. Mystique was awake, but Barry had been able to tie her ankles and wrists to restrain her…

… Two things no SSR soldier is ever without: plastic ties, and thick tape…

… Mystique was awake, but she was unable to voice any frustrations…

The mutants were all brought into the laboratory, and then locked inside of the closet space. All of us then gathered at the center of the laboratory, and started debating what we should do next…

… There were still, the two other hallways to check out… But there also had to be a logical explanation for the fact that the Blood Brothers had just vanished…

… The answer had to be in that laboratory…

Just then, some of the background sounds of gunfire, echoing across the campus, had begun growing louder. It was sounding as if it were moving closer...

... First Sgt. Wilson checked out in the lobby, and down the halls…

… He said there was nothing that he could see. But the sounds rang louder, and louder…

Out of nowhere, a section of the wall - along the south end of the building - began to open! But the wall wasn't opening at a door? The opening was some sort of secret door!

The wall opened to reveal another hallway between the laboratory and... somewhere else. But it also immediately revealed a handful of enemy soldiers! They were retreating away from something else, and firing their guns furiously down the hall. Their backs were to us…

… Barry made quick work of those soldiers. In a flash, they were all unconscious and in the closet space too!

Coming from down the hall - that those soldiers had retreated from - was our south-breaching team: Green Arrow, Hawkeye, and The Martian...

"Where's the rest of the soldiers?" I shouted to J'onn as he entered the laboratory.

"We assume that they're still engaging with the enemy. We were separated by an explosion-"

"What happened, J'onn!?" Bruce demanded.

"Well, we can confirm that Nitro is on the grounds. And we can confirm that he can self-detonate…

… But when the roof came down… the three of us were separated from the rest of the team…

Anything more.. is only an assumption, or a hope…"

"Then we saw two, identical beings" Green Arrow started to further explain, "Ugly, monstrous looking things… So we chased after them! Eventually, we ran into that group of soldiers. Started fighting them. And when we started getting the better of them- they started falling back…

… Until they came here."

"What happened to the two beings!?" Phill was the most quick to ask.

"We never saw," Hawkeye answered, "Those soldiers had the better position, at first. We had to focus there... and when we did- we lost sight of those things."


	22. The time does seem right

Chapter 50: The time does seem right

By now, I really can't let go of wanting to know how Barry got over to us… Or really, when he got over with us…

… This school's campus is quite large. It's about the same size as any other major university's campus. And we have no information as to the layout of this place… None of the teams were even in that great of a proximity to one another…

…. And now Barry was just there, in the thick of things with us? He had offered to check a hallway, and then he had rushed towards Block Buster...

In all of the ensuing commotion, I never really thought to stop and ask him about any of this. At the time- I was just happy that he was there to help…

… And, I mean, this wouldn't be the first time that Barry has appeared at just the right time- right in the middle of a mission, right?… I mean, just ask Eddie… If we ever find him again…

But like I said- these thoughts were growing louder, and it was getting harder to block them out…

… Now, before we get back to the action- one last reflective moment...

We can now confirm that we do know that Nitro, the Blood Brothers, and an armed security force are, in fact, our enemies at the school. So, I guess, now we have a better idea of the other players in this mission- whereas all of our knowledge beforehand, was really, merely, just that of our own players…

However, at this point, it still seems that we are without much of a plan… or even a working plan. Which at this point, I would take a plan that's being formulated on the fly- over whatever it is that one would call whatever we're currently doing…

… I mean, seriously. We've ambushed a school, and we've fatally engaged with said school's security. We have confirmed a handful of extremists, and criminals; however, outside of Nitro- we've found nothing of substance...

"I'm thinking that the Blood Brothers had to have vanished into that hallway that you guys came from," Bruce hypothesized to J'onn, and the rest of us…

"I think that they escaped down that hall, and then once you guys were engaged with the other soldiers, I think that they continued running to wherever they were going to…

… So I want to know- where could that be?"

BOOM!

… The sound of another violent explosion shook the complex! It was coming from the east end of the building…

"Alpha Flight!?" Bruce worried.

"Yeah, by the way," I finally asked Barry, "I thought you were with Alpha Flight!?"

"I am… I mean… When I heard an explosion from over this way, I ran over to see if you all needed help!"

"What about Aurora, Shaman, and the rest of the soldiers?" Phill asked.

"They seemed like they could handle the little resistance that we had encountered by that point."

"And what resistance was that?" John interrogated Barry. He still had that hollow, dark glaze over his eyes... He seemed suspicious of Barry?

"Just a few of these... same soldiers… Now, come on guys, let's-"

"Hold your horses, mate!" John ordered. He had again drawn his cross-jeweled handgun, but this time... he had it aimed at Barry!

"Constantine! What are you doing!?" Phill questioned. 

"John, put the gun down!" Bruce demanded.

"Hey, Officer," John smirked, with that deranged look he's becoming known for, "You still want to know what Blade told me?"

I swallowed. Of course I wanted to know. What was John getting at, asking a question like that? Surely he already knew the answer.

"Bruce, you might be interested in this too," he continued, "I may have been holding on to this one, until the time was right...And the time does seem right..."

John's theatrics were starting to grate on my nerves. "I'd say now is as good a time as any, John! Out with it!"

"See, Blade had found out that Mr. Sinister was doing something far worse than just this 'Legacy Virus/ Mutant Cure'," he paused for dramatic effect, his eyes gleaming,

"We think that he wants to replace mutants! With clones!" John shouted. "Blade said he found another one of the Hand's warehouses, a while back. Apparently Mr. Sinister was a frequent visitor of said warehouse."

"A visitor?"

"More than just a visitor. One night he broke in to take a look around…Tables of medical equipment, just like this lab here. Hoses, tanks, and the like… But that's when he saw em… The clones."

"What are you talking about, John!?" Bruce demanded to know.

"A handful of identical Mr. Sinisters, all of em laid out on a row of operating tables… Blade also told me that there were two other clones… But that neither one had yet been formed into a doppelganger…

… My money's on one of em being right here!"

… John then cocked back the hammer of his gun…

… What is going on!?...

Barry - or maybe imposter-Barry? - was steadily trying to argue his case. But with each attempt, he seemed more and more suspicious…

… Something about him did seem off… Just the way that he talked… Something was different...

"John, just hold on a minute," Phill tried to negotiate, "Maybe we should just fall back to the Quinjet and abort this mission? We need to regroup, and reassess the situation! Barry said he ran over here, and there's no reason to doubt him?"

"I beg to differ, mate!" John interrupted, "And we don't have the time to stand around debating things right now!"

CLICK, BOOM! THUD!

… John had pulled the trigger… Barry's limp body immediately fell to the floor...

"What the-" Green Arrow started to exclaim, but then Bruce pounced to grab John and throw him to the ground!

"What did you do, John! What have you done!?"

"Easy, Bruce! It was set to 'Silent Night'!" John argued, "He's not dead! He's just asleep… Just until we can get things sorted!"

"Um, but he's already starting to wake back up?" Hawkeye observed.

"What?"

When John asked, "What?"... the entire 'manic-confidence' thing that he had going on was sent plummeting back down to Arda…

"That's good, right?" I asked.

"No…" Bruce answered for John, " We developed, 'Silent Night', specifically for… Speedsters. Barry's DNA was a reference we used to make sure that the 'Silent Night' serum would effectively subdue a Speedster for hours…

… He should be out cold…"

Barry was still out of it, and on the ground. His body was jerking about, as if he were waking up from a dream. His eyes were still closed, but his nostrils were flaring. He was moving his head slowly, as if he were tracking something.. It was as if he had picked up our scent?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Special Thanks to orangebiscotti for help with formatting/improving a portion of dialog/plot reveal***
> 
> You are amazing, and the section is greatly improved! Thank you!


	23. I have an idea...

Chapter 51: I have an idea...

"GRRAAHH!"

Barry's eyelids snapped open, and revealed that his eyes were completely black! He sprang up from the ground, and he landed on all fours. He was hunched over, and snarling!?

"John, what did you shoot Barry with!?" Phill asked hysterically, "It turned him into some sort of… demon!?"

"That's what I'm trying to say, Phil! That's not, Barry!"

The demon-Barry then lept towards John! He had his arms stretched wide, and he looked like a wild cat pouncing to take down its prey! Just before Barry was able to grab John, J'onn used his telepathy to stop Barry mid-jump?

J'onn lifted Barry high into the air… And then he ripped the imposter-demon-Barry in half! Peeled him apart- like one would a banana…

"J'onn…" Hawkeye gasped

… Before saying a word, J'onn lowered one of the "Barry-halfs" in front of John...

"Look at his jaw structure." J'onn told him, "You were right, John."

"Phill's right, too," Bruce then admitted, "We are in way over our heads, and we are way under prepared for this…"

"We need to rendezvous with the real Barry, and Alpha Flight," I said, "They could still be in trouble. Who knows how long it takes for Nitro to recover from one of his tricks? He could still be out there too!"

With that, we all traveled down the hallway off of the secret door. At the junction at the end of the hall, we took the path opposite from the hallway that the south team had came from. Directionally, we were now heading northeast. So at least we were heading in, mostly, the right direction…

As we were making our way through the halls of this place… I couldn't help but take notice of a few things…

For being a school- I had yet to see any sort of classrooms, or even some sort of lounge. I've seen plenty of laboratories, server rooms, and storage rooms… But nothing that would really imply academia… This looks more, industrialized?

Along that same line of thinking, where are all the students? Or even the faculty? Janitorial staff? Outside - I could excuse the lack of students - it's super early in the morning, and it's February… But we've now crossed a good portion of this complex... And no one?

The last thing that stood out to me was the greatly reduced opposition that we were facing; as we traveled further into the facility…

… After our initial bouts with security, and those mutants… We hadn't run into anything else?... Even the background sounds of distant gunfire had begun to fade…

Eventually, we did come across a symbol of academia- an auditorium. We paired off at the many surrounding doors which lead into the lecture hall. In unison, we breached the doors, and then entered inside. There, we still found no opposition, but we did find Alpha Flight… And the real Barry!

"Barry!" Phill yelled. It echoed around the auditorium.

We all ran down the many rows of seating, towards the stage where the 'east team' was standing! They hadn't lost anyone, and they had even found the other SSR soldiers from the 'south team'! As we all gathered, rejoicing for a brief moment…

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!...

… All of the doors - that we had just breached - simultaneously shut, and then locked! It was a trap!

"Hey, Barry!" John said, "Want to check out the place again, real fast? I think that you've already died plenty, today…

… Mind seeing what we're up against?"

Barry was certainly confused. His face clearly showed it. But he didn't question what John had said, and he took off to inspect the auditorium again…

"What do you think we're up against, Bruce?"

"I'm not sure yet, John."

"I have an idea…" J'onn offered.

"Please! Come on, Mr. Martian, give us something?" Phill pleaded.

"I can clear a path above us… Aurora and I could then fly to get the Quinjet, and then return here for the rest of the extraction."

"That's… not too bad of a suggestion!" John agreed.

… Barry then returned to the stage, and he gave us an update,

"Best I can tell- just like everyone heard, the doors are all shut, and locked from the outside…

… There are no other windows, or entrances to the auditorium that I could find. No one else is in here with us, either…

… They're just holding us in here?"

"Death flies above us." Shaman abruptly warned.

We all looked up to the roof of the auditorium. It had several large glass roof panels. In the dawn's early light, we could see several creatures circling in the air high above us!

… And then at once, they all came crashing down on us, through the glass roof panels!

"Vampires!" John exclaimed. He pointed his weapon, and he began firing at the funnel of incoming vampires!

"What's the best way to kill a vampire!?" Green Arrow frantically asked.

"Go for the head!" John said between shots.

Everyone was doing their best to fight off the incoming horde of vampires. I just couldn't believe that I was dealing with these things again! The flow of incoming vampires seemed to be unending! J'onn and Aurora took flight, to try and stem the flow of vampires- at it's access point to the auditorium…

"J'onn, Aurora can handle things in here! We still need you to get to the Quinjet!" Bruce ordered, "We need to get out of here while we still can!"

J'onn then broke through a section of the roof, and he flew off to go get the Quinjet. Just as J'onn had left, the stage began to shake! A square section of flooring, at the center of the stage, began to retract!

"Watch out!" First Sgt. Wilson yelled, as he dove to push me off of the lowering section of the stage.

We landed clear of the now gaping hole at the center of the stage. A split second later, the sounds of the stage returning back up could be heard? The stage again began to tremble! On the now returning section of stage was standing a man…

… "That's him! Mr. Sinister…"


	24. There's only part of it left!

Chapter 52: There's only part of it left!

There he stood, Mr. Sinister. I understand now how he got that name. He had hair as black as night. It was long, and it rested on his shoulders. He wore a suit that one would have worn at the turn of this century, and he had a thick black cape that was draped down from his neck. His appearance wasn't frightening, but it was most definitely unnerving…

… He had a smirk on his face. His wrinkless, pale face. His eyes were the same black void that imposter-demon-Barry's were…

… Mr. Sinister then levitated up into the air- surrounding himself in the swarm of vampires!...

"That's the same man that Blade had called, Mr. Sinister, that night at the warehouse!" Bruce confirmed John's initial proclamation, "I only saw him briefly, but that's him!"

"We need to capture him!" Green Arrow said, "We need him! Preferably, alive!"

"Why!?" Phill shouted, "I'd rather not try and fly back with that thing!"

"We need him to prove to the public that he is Dr. Essex!"

"Bruce is right! Blade told me that Mr. Sinister and Dr. Essex are one and the same! We just need to prove it!"

"How are we supposed to catch him then, John?" Phill asked.

… Phill was certainly not happy about this plan… If tones could kill… John would be lucky to be alive…

"I've got just the thing!" John said, "Just give me a second to find it in me pocket…"

CRASH!

A glass roof panel was shattered! A rope then dropped down from the sky. Some person then came in, sliding down the rope! They had some sort of advanced, grenade launcher, and they began to blast away at the vampires!

"Hey! Don't kill, Mr. Sinister! Hey, you!" I was trying to get the attention of this new comer, but no one could have yelled over the sound of the continuous explosions from that weapon..."Hey!"

…

By the time that J'onn had arrived overhead with the Quinjet, the fighting inside had ended…

Dozens of vampires now lay scattered amongst the audience of the auditorium. There was also a cluster of vampires up on the stage. On the top of that pile, was the body of Mr. Sinister…

… By now, the newcomer had reached the stage at the bottom of their rope. Bruce was the closest to them- he grabbed the back of their shoulder, to turn them around, and he questioned them,

"Hey, who do you think you are?"

The newcomer turned around. It reached up to grab, and then remove, the mask that it was wearing. As the mask was coming off, a familiar laugh could be heard coming from underneath it…

"You're welcome! For saving y'all's behinds, and all!"

… General Fury!?...

"General Fury? I thought you were due back in New York in a couple of hours?" Bruce approached General Fury, and extended his hand to greet him.

"Well, I happened to hear that y'all had jumped the gun on this assignment, so I redirected my flight home to include a layover."

"Well, your timing was perfect, General Fury, really. But you told us we needed Mr. Sinister alive…

… And you almost blew his head clean off! Look! There's only part of it left! Just, dangling there!"

"I know, Constantine. I know what I said. But y'all kind of left me with few other options…"

"What is this place, General Fury?" I asked, "This isn't really a school?"

"Your guess is still as good as mine, Officer. But I do think that today has brought us a step closer to finding out…

I've already called in a few clean up crews to investigate the grounds. Seeing Nitro alone gives us the justification we needed for the raid…

Bruce, get everyone back to WCD HQ, and I'll meet y'all there shortly for a debriefing."

… J'onn then lowered the Quinjet down through the broken ceiling. He brought the plane down to rest at the center of the auditorium. First Sgt. Wilson stayed behind with General Fury, and the rest of the SSR soldiers, but the rest of us got on the Quinjet to return back to base.

On the way back, J'onn piloted while Bruce rode copilot. John was huddled with Green Arrow and Hawkeye. Aurora and Shaman sat huddled in another corner of the Quinjet. Positioned in the middle of the other groups was me, Barry, and Phil. As we flew back to base, Barry started to think out loud,

"General Fury wasn't expected to New York for a few more hours. Even if he had left Canada earlier than planned, I still don't see how he made it to Gateway City by the time that he did…

And perfect timing too, no less. Just when we can see - and as he said, justify - Mr. Sinister… And coincidentally, just as we're being told not to kill him… General Fury shows up… and kills him!…"

"What are you getting at, Barry?" Phill interjected.

… I'm glad that Phil asked, but I was sure that I knew where Barry was going with this…

"John said that Blade had told him that there were multiple clones of Mr. Sinister…

… What if the one that we saw tonight was? You guys said that they cloned me!? If they could do that… speed and all… why couldn't they have multiple Mr. Sinisters?

More specifically, why wouldn't Mr. Sinister… Dr. Essex… why wouldn't he want multiple clones of himself?

… Plausible deniability. The ability to 'disprove' being one and the same. The opportunity to manipulate in any number of different ways!

… Now, Blade, he also said that while there were many Mr. Sinisters, he said there were also two others... You said that you found out that one of them was me…

… What if the other one is, General Fury?"

"What?" Phill said.

"Hear me out," Barry continued to theorise, "Timing aside… He also quickly, and lethally, got rid of all of our enemies. Every one of them. He even eliminated the main target…

Before we could even verify if Mr. Sinister was really him, or maybe a clone- General Fury hurried us to the Quinjet, and said that he would debrief with us 'later'…"

"I'll give you that it's a decent conspiracy theory," Phill mocked, "But I still think claiming that General Fury is a clone is a bit much…"

"Once we get back to base," I then reasoned, "Bruce should be able to verify with JDC HQ if General Fury's arrival had been delayed… But if not, Phill… Barry might be onto something…"


	25. Don't trust anyone!

Chapter 53: Don't trust anyone!

Barry's conspiracy theory was all that I could think about, for the entire rest of the way back to base. General Fury, a bad guy? There's no way, right? He's the Director of the SSR, for Eru's sake!… But still, what if?

…

I mean, he's an LMD from the future. He's based on the future, General Fury- whom I worked with directly. He came back to the past with Barry, and he's been the active General Fury - in the place of the real General Fury - ever sense…

… The real General Fury…

Now, there's maybe a suspect? I've never met this timeline's General Fury. But, from what I'd gathered… He was on the exact same trajectory, as was the General Fury that I first knew... 

… But even that General Fury, that I first knew, was an LMD… Now that I really think about it...

… But, I still would find it hard to believe that he is a bad actor.

… Maybe someone he's with? Or around?...

I have no idea. I don't even know "where" the real General Fury is! Let alone "who" he directly associated with…

… I really can't find a way to justify Barry's theory…

But, perhaps I'm looking at it all wrong?

Perhaps, well… Let's just say, for argument's sake, that the LMD General Fury is definitely the "bad guy". Assuming as much, then as John would ask it, "What's the con?"

… The more I attempt to consider things this way, the more I can start to actually see Barry's point…

If there's one thing I've learned about "bad guys"- it's that they usually think that what they're doing is "right". So if we're saying that General Fury is really a "bad guy"... What would he be doing that he thought would be right?

…

The last subject, that I had internally debated, on the flight back to HQ, was one that really should have been an obvious debate to begin with...

If General Fury is an LMD- How could he have a clone? I mean, I'm not a scientist, but I think you would need DNA to make a clone… And I'm no engineer, but I don't think that machines have DNA... And that's how I got back to "square one" with the - "General Fury's the 'bad guy'/ a clone" - theory.

…

J'onn finally landed the Quinjet back at WCD HQ, and everyone departed back to the central control room. On the way, as we were walking past the cafeteria, I saw Private Stewart sitting alone at a table for dinner. His food was barely touched, and the look in his eyes - as he unblinkingly watched us walk by - was furious…

… I don't think he liked being left at HQ… At all…

We reached the central control room, and we waited for J'onn, and Bruce, to arrive. When they finally caught up with us, Bruce told us,

"I just got a call from General Fury. He won't be back this evening. Everyone, grab some food, and hit the showers. Try and relax this evening, and then get a good night's rest. General Fury did say that he would be here in the morning. So I would expect a full debriefing, then.

We went in blind, today, but we all managed to make it back. Good work, everyone."

We all then left, the central control room, for our own destinations. I think Alpha Flight went to the training room? Barry, and Phil, went to the cafeteria for supper right away. Clint and Bishop went to the range, maybe? The "Big Three" of the WCD stayed in the central control room…

… Which makes sense for them for any time of day. Bruce and J'onn are obsessed with vigilantism, and the central control room has some of the most advanced computing, and surveillance, equipment on Arda. And, John likes to drink… And, he keeps his stash in the central control room... He thinks it's funny? I don't know…

While everyone else was doing their own things- I ducked off to my room, to try and call Jim-

RING! RING! RING!...

… No answer…

Maybe he'd call back? Either way, I quickly hit the showers and then got dressed in my PT uniform. Afterwards, I walked back to the cafeteria, hoping to still get something to eat!

… Whomp, whomp…

Yeah, there wasn't much left at the buffet. There was enough stew left that I could scrape together a meal's worth, in a bowl… But that meal would really only be fitting for a small child… And apparently everyone ate fast, or my shower was a little longer than I let on, because the cafeteria was almost empty. There was a table with a handful of SSR soldiers sitting around, but that was it.

So I took my bowl - I don't know why I even bothered with that thing. It was maybe only a single "gulp" - and I went back to my room. I figured I would eat, maybe watch some television, and then try and get some sleep.

I finally got back to my room. Yet I had barely crossed the threshold when my phone began to ring. I set my soup bowl down and quickly answered the call. "Jim? Is that you?"

"It's me. You called, Officer?"

Finally. I was getting restless and needed answers. "I need to know something right away—did General Fury arrive there today as planned?"

"Actually, no. We were informed that his plane departed early and went out to you guys," Jim answered. "Rex still flew back here, but not General Fury."

I exhaled. "Okay, yeah. I was just making sure you guys were informed." That was a relief. I wasn't sure if Jim could sense the tension in my voice, but part of me didn't even care. I lowered myself into my chair, finally feeling like I could relax for the first time since we returned. "So, how's Rick been doing?"

There was a pause on the other line before Jim responded, his voice hesitant. "What are you talking about, Officer? Rick never came back here."

What!?

… Rick was definitely, supposedly, flying back to JDC HQ- the same day that we all flew out to WCD HQ!?...

Sitting was definitely a mistake. I felt a cold sense of dread settle at the pit of my stomach. Rick was definitely supposed to fly back to JDC HQ, the same day that we all flew out to WCD HQ. So then how...

I gripped the phone. "We were told he was taking General Fury's place on the originally scheduled flight back to JDC HQ. What do you mean, he's not there—?!"

"Listen, Officer. There's a lot that has happened since you've been gone. I will tell you about it, but I have to tell you in person. Things...aren't as they seem. There's a 'snake in the apple,' or 'poison in the well,' so to speak. For some time now, actually," Jim sighed. He sounded tired and tense. "But there are those of us who know the truth," he added. "I'll be there in two days, and I'm bringing a friend with me, but until then... don't trust anyone, Officer."

CLICK!

"Jim, wha-"

… The line went dead…

"I can't think about this anymore, tonight," I told myself.

Still sitting at the side of my bed, I had put the telephone back down, and then I picked up my sip of stew…

GULP!

… I'm definitely getting up early for breakfast...

I put the bowl down on the table, and then I grabbed the TV remote control beside it. Then I laid down under my covers, and rolled over onto my side. Reaching out with the remote control, I turned the TV on to an empty, static channel. I had hoped that the white noise would help me to drift off to sleep…

… Because at this point, that's all that I wanted to do...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Special Thanks to orangebiscotti for help with formatting/improving a portion of dialog***
> 
> You are amazing, and the section is greatly improved! Thank you!


	26. So what do you suggest we do?

Chapter 54: So what do you suggest we do?

"We have to stop him..."

"Yeah, so what do you suggest we do?"

"I don't know? He's just… this is too far. Hank, wha- Hey, Hank! Come here. Take a look at this…"

"Hank's going to side with me, Tony…"

"We'll see, Ray. Just let Hank speak for himself."

"Yeah, yeah. Hey, Hank."

"Hey, guys. What'd you need?... What's that?... Is that J.A.R.V.I.S.? What did you guys do to it?"

"That was J.A.R.V.I.S., yes… But not anymore…"

"What is it, Ray?... Tony?"

"Do you remember that AI program that we theorized a few years back? We kicked around a few ideas… I started pointing out all of the potential military applications, and then Ray pointed out how truly 'terrible' of an idea this was…"

"Yeah, I remember. At the end of the War. Project Insight… What was it? Oh yeah, um, the 'Ultron Protocol'. That's it, right? Wait… that on the screen, that's the Ultron Protocol? But how?"

"We think it was the LMD…"

"You think Fury did that?"

… I could hear these three men talking, but I couldn't see anything? It was like I had my eyes closed, but I could still hear the people around me talking…

"And Reed…"

…

I suddenly woke up in my room. The TV was still on, and filling the room with the sounds of static white noise. The clock on the wall read 3:17AM. I must have fallen asleep much easier than I had anticipated, but I was still half asleep. I was definitely not wanting to go on another early stroll through base, while everyone else was still sleeping… So I flipped my pillow over to the cool side, and I rolled over to my other side- pulling the covers up over my shoulder…

…

"Who would'a thought... that Arda would fall to the gods?"

"Good riddance! Wasn't nothin' but'a bad joke, anyways…"

"I could have predicted this..."

"Well obviously, robot!... No offense, Fury."

"Listen up everyone! We can't change the past, but-"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, General Fury, but what if we can?"

"Can, what?"

"...Change the past…"

"And how do you calculate we do that, Mr. Robot?"

"My name is, Ultron… Eddie… And I have detected some interesting energy signatures, recently…"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

… My alarm blaring, immediately woke me up!...

What was that!?...

… Where do I even begin to start processing that!?

While I got out of bed, and started making my way to the shower, I started thinking…

Let's start with what we know-

There seemed to have been two dreams. They seemed to carry a similar theme, but they didn't seem to otherwise be related. I do remember Project Insight from the original timeline…

… It was basically the precursor to the Avengers Initiative…

It was started sometime after the end of the Second Great War. Maybe within the first several months after. I remember Tony Stark, Hank Pym, Ray Palmer, and Reed Richards were the lead scientists for Project Insight. And lastly, General Fury was the - like he already is now - Director of the SSR, so he would have been the one with sole oversight over the project.

So knowing that-

The first dream named the first - or in the case of General Fury, last - name of all of the people I could confirm were apart of Project Insight- which again, was a real thing. Even if those were all common names- within the context, the same combination would be even less likely…

… But I've never heard of the Ultron Protocol?

In the second dream, I again was familiar with the participants. General Fury, Eddie, I heard Clint's voice… But the last voice I was unfamiliar with. It was a woman's voice. With Clint's voice being there, maybe it was Kate? But it didn't sound like Bishop... She sounded Russian?

… And this "Ultron"...

Eddie called it, "Mr. Robot"... Was it an android? Maybe another LMD?... It sure sounded like a robot in my dream...

… Just like my first dream, the second dream was only voices… I could see nothing.

Still, this second "team"-

I've heard this line up before. General Fury, Eddie, Clint, a woman..

… Task Force X.

Everything lines up, timing-wise. The Second Great War ends, Project Insight, and then Task Force X. The names all lined up…

… What are these dreams!?

…

I had to table my dream-processing for later. By now, I'd finished getting ready, and I was heading to the cafeteria for breakfast. On the way, I hadn't passed anyone else in the halls- perfect! I had set my alarm early today. I was not going without a hearty meal this morning!

As I walked in through the doors to the cafeteria…

"Hey, Officer! Glad to see you join the land of the living! Better get in line, quick. I don't know how much is left!"

… "Thanks, Phill."…

Apparently, everyone else had the same idea that I did this morning. Lucky me.

I went through the line. Not as bad as I was expecting. The bacon was gone, but I did get a good amount of fried eggs, oatmeal, and an apple… So I was content. I exited the line and went to go sit with Phill, Barry, and John. At the table next to us was Clint and Bishop.

"You look like you did not sleep well, Officer," Barry said jokingly.

"Right! Looks like the Officer may have went out on a bender last night, heh!"

"Oh, it's nothing," I said, "No, I wasn't out with you last night, John... Just some wild dreams last night. I'll be fine."

We all had a chuckle, and then we all sat silently for the next few minutes. It would have been futile to even try and talk then, as we were all busy stuffing down our food. But as our plates started to empty, the conversation started back up again. Of course, it was mostly small talk at first…

"Can't wait to get back home..."

"How do we stop this war?"

… That sort of thing...

But, eventually, Phill brought up Jim. For what it's worth, he said that he really did miss him. He wondered what the JDC's current mission was, and when we would see them all again.

"Me too," Barry said.

… I leaned over the table, and kind of nodded, as if to motion everyone closer…

"He told me last night that he'd be here in a couple days. Keep that between us…"

"We got you, mate. Keep it between the in-between!"

…

Looking back- I should have noticed that as soon as I had finished saying that Jim would arrive soon, Clint had gotten up from his seat... and immediately walked out of the cafeteria...


	27. I will get to it

Chapter 55: I will get to it

Just a few more moments had passed by, and we were all still, obviously, sitting around the cafeteria table. The conversation had moved on from Jim, and we were back to talking about wanting to get back to Gotham-

"I mean, really, I haven't had a proper drink since the last time I was at Josie's… It's been months, mates!"

"John, please… You drink every day."

"Listen, Phill. I'll have you kno-"

SWOOSH! BUMP!

… The cafeteria doors swung open, and banged against the walls…

"Morning, everybody! Y'all get enough food? Time to get back to work!"

General Fury had arrived. He walked into the cafeteria with both Rick... and Morbius? ... at his sides!

… Morbius!?...

"Morbius?" I said. The look on my face was surely flattering…

"Morbius, how are you here!?" John was as dumbfounded as I was.

"Listen, everyone has questions for everybody else," General Fury stated, "So like I said, it's time to get back to work… Let's go!

… Not you, Bishop! Clint's waiting for you at the range…"

So Barry, Phill, John, and I followed General Fury, Rick, and Moribus out of the cafeteria. Everyone then walked towards the central control room. John held the door for everyone to enter the room…

… I knew what he was doing. John's really not the most polished individual, so seeing him holding a door for anyone was as frequent as one spotting a wild unicorn. Plus, the fake smile on his face, paired with the contempt in his eyes- It was John's way of mocking General Fury's "authority"...

… I don't know why, but I thought it was funny too.

Bruce and J'onn were already inside the central control room. Both were seated at the table, and reading the morning newspaper. With the table and chairs being ready- they must have already known that General Fury was here. We all took a seat at the table to join them… except General Fury. He stayed standing, and then he took the lead,

"Now, I know you all have your questions… probably, rightly so… But there's a lot that you still don't know…

… We'll 'baby step' it for you…

First, the raid on Essex's school was a cover up-"

"A what!?" John stood up, and interjected.

General Fury placed his hands on the table. He lowered his head, and sighed heavily, "John, I promise you… I will get to it. Sit down! Now, like I was saying-

I've known for some time that Mr. Sinister, Dr. Essex, had been experimenting with cloning technology. About five months ago, I received a letter from a man claiming to be, Dr. Michael Morbius… The man to my right… Well, he was a man….

John, Officer, Bruce, Phill- you all have obviously met, or previously seen, Dr. Morbius. Rick met him on the way here. So that just leaves you, Dr. J'onzz- meet Dr. Morbius…

… So now, the elephant in the room…

John, and Bruce, you both watched Dr. Morbius get his neck snapped by Baron Blood, if I'm not mistaken. So how is here sitting here, now? How was he sending letters back five months ago, right?

… Because you both watched a clone die.

Dr. Morbius has been, well… Dr. Morbius, go ahead and give them the full debriefing."

"Thank you, General Fury. Like General Fury said, my name Dr. Michael Morbius. I have a rare blood condition, that years ago-"

I stood up this time to interrupt, "Yeah, I know this already. 'Bat-experiments'... Get to the part about that being a clone!... Are you a clone!?"

"Easy, Officer," General Fury chided, "I'd expect that from John. Not from you…

… Dr. Morbius, you can skip your back story…"

"Yes, sir…

It was around two years ago this spring. I was connected to a man called, 'Mr. Sinister', via my association with Deacon Frost. Mr. Sinister is an expert geneticist... A genius. He had allowed me to help him with a project he was working on... He called it... his 'legacy'.

You have to understand…

You see, Mr. Sinister's 'legacy' is not just some 'mutant cure'... It is a complete replacing of a species…

There are two steps to Mr. Sinister's plans. One, to inject every mutant on Arda with his serum. And two, to replace every mutant on Arda with a clone."

"How do those two steps correlate?" Bruce asked... 

… He stayed sitting in his seat. His elbows were on the table, with his hands cupped on his chin. He's one of the most serious people I have ever met. The man means business. 

"Application of the mutant cure does two things. The injection device not only transfers the serum into the mutant, it also extracts a sample of the mutant's DNA.

For the second part of Mr. Sinister's 'legacy', Mr. Sinister has perfected the ability to replicate DNA… And have it thrive...

However, there is one restriction. His process only works if the DNA is crossed with a Vampire host. So while he cannot yet raise a true clone, one from conception, he can modify 'expired' vampires… 'Bring them back to life'... If you will.

… But not their own life. Not their own face. The process uses the mutant DNA to completely rebirth the vampire corpses. They go into the chamber pale, generic, dead… Then, like the caterpillar turns into a butterfly, they emerge from the chamber a new being."

"So are you a clone?" I asked.

"I am, Officer. But I still knew then, as I know now- that what Mr. Sinister is doing is wrong. That's why I reached out to General Fury those handful of months ago."

"So… A clone with a conscious..." John quipped.

"If that's what you would like to call it, old friend. You've also, already met some of the other clones that Mr. Sinister has created…

The first of me, me, The Flash, Gambit, Block Buster-"

"Wait, what?"... Barry rejoined the conversation.

"Yeah! Who's Gambit?" Rick asked with Barry… Well, he thought he was asking the same thing as Barry… And speaking of rejoining the conversation. 

"The mutant you had tied up in a closet," General Fury answered, "With Mystique, and Nightcrawler."

"Ah, the 'card thrower'," John said, "I wonder what he plays?"

"And Block Buster?" Barry asked.

"He was one of the first mutants to volunteer to test the cure," Dr. Morbius explained, "He was one of the first to be cloned successfully. His mass had made it more difficult, but Mr. Sinister finally had a subject with enough size to support the transition."

"When was this?" I asked.

"Before I met Mr. Sinister," Dr. Morbius said, "Like I said, he was one of the first…

So now, where this catches up to the current-

Mr. Sinister's clone army, 'The Marauders', are planning to poison the water lines in California- with the cure. They are planning to steal something from PalmerPym Tech to do so. I don't know what…"

"Why would they poison the water, if Mr. Sinister would want the injectors used to sample the DNA?" Bruce asked.

… Bruce is, for sure, Arda's greatest detective…

"That's not the point, Bruce!" General Fury slammed his hand on the table in protest, "They also want to kill the mutants. Maybe he doesn't need all of'em?

And we need to stop whatever it is that they're planning at PalmerPym Tech!"

"Let's bring it back for a moment, shall we?" John leaned back in his chair and positioned himself as a laid back "thinking man",

"How's this relate to the school? You said it was a cover up, mate. So how's that have to do with… anything!?"

"We were trying to verify a rumor," General Fury answered. He was standing with his arms folded. He had that look of a parent gloating their authority over a petulant child...

"And did we?" Bruce asked... Hasn't moved a muscle.

"Nope! Honestly, we were really there trying to find a Mother Box!"

"What!?" J'onn gasped.

" You know the myths, J'onn," General Fury began, "You first told them to me- One by space. One by time. One buried deep within Arda's core… The Mother Box I had sent to you…" General Fury returned to his smirking, gloating of authority,

"We verified, with ancient hieroglyphs, that the engravings around that Mother Box match the depictions of the Mother Box once possessed by Rama-Tut. When we heard rumors that Mr. Sinister may have had the Mother Box that was recently detected, and that he and Nitro were sighted on the campus.. We had to move…"

… I sat in silence as I mulled this information over. So all this time, it really was the same Mother Box...

I called in the order, that was forwarded to Bruce, to deploy early... I know it wasn't easy, but you all did your jobs. You did them well… And now we need to know exactly what the Marauders are planning on stealing from PalmerPym Tech?"


	28. I'll move it forward...

Chapter 56: I'll move it forward...

"I still think there's more to this," Bruce said. He removed his hands from his chin, placing them flat onto the table in front of him. He stepped his legs out from under the table, and he stood up from his chair… He began to pace over to the side of the central control room…

"What do you mean, 'more to this'? Huh, Bruce?" General Fury demanded. His gloating demeanor quickly shifting to one of annoyance.

"Things are adding up… but not in the way that you are presenting them…"

"And how's that?"

"Morbius, a clone, contacted you about a half a year ago. And a half a year before that, there about, a different clone had encountered Constantine…That one's there the night that the Hand, Vampires, and Hydra- all invade Cotham City Park - with a Mother Box - trying to return Dracula to Arda…" he trailed off, his chin in his hands before continuing, "The next night, he's killed by those same forces, after helping to take down Deacon Frost…" Bruce then smirked. "… Who I must note- was not in good standings with the other Vampire family leaders…Then, about a month later… He sends a letter to the SSR-"

"Let me stop you, Bruce. I did not send my letter to the SSR… I sent it to General Fury, directly. I did not know who else I could trust…"

"Keep going, Bruce." General Fury said. He had held out his hand in front of Morbius, as if to tell him to stop talking...

"So, he sends you the letter… What did it say?"

"That Mr. Sinister was cloning mutants… That he needed to talk to me so that we could stop it. That was enough for me to want to hear this Dr. Morbius out. Now would you like to continue? Or can we move on now?"

"Not yet…

So you get the letter, and you want to meet Dr. Morbius… you do meet Dr. Morbius… And he convinces you to work with him in secret? For the past five months?"

"Are you questioning me, Bruce!? Not that I have to explain myself, but John knew him for almost a year before I did… He ever tell me that before? Or think to tell me that before? I'm the Director of the Strategic Scientific Reserve… Officer, I told you on the day that I first met you, I will always be multiple steps ahead!

What Dr. Morbius was doing for me, was the same thing that he was doing for John- gathering intel. When we decided to raid the school last night, I had to leave Alpha Flight, fly to get Dr. Morbius to safety, and then show up to save your sorry a-"

"Alright, General Fury!" Bruce interrupted, "Alright, I'll move it forward…

Fast forwarding: anti-mutant protests, then counter protests start, idea of mutant cure begins floating around, Nitro's attack, increased pressure for anti mutant legislation…

But all the while, around the same time that these anti-mutant protests are beginning, there's also an energy reading indicating the return of the second Mother Box…

I'd assume it is the second, as the one from that night is still in SSR possession, correct?"

"Correct."

"Somebody's hiding something… J'onn, you said that in your original time here-

Eventually, both Rama-Tut, and Savitar, left Arda- each with a Mother Box in hand?"

"That is correct, Bruce."

"Savitar was the 'God of Speed', right?"

"Yes, Bruce."

"Did he leave a trail of colored, electrical sparks when he ran?"

"He did. He wore a silver, armored suit. Like a Knight from the future, and when he ran- yellow flashes could be seen trailing his blur."

"Thawne…" Barry ominously sighed, "That's Thawne, I know it is."

"That's what I think too," Bruce continued, "What if Thawne traveled back to the past, and he returned to the future with a Mother Box…

If so, then perhaps this, 'Rama-Tut', is one of Thawne's partners that we've seen him with?

Perhaps he's returned from their little, 'falling out'?"

"If rumors are believed to be credible," Dr. Morbius began to say, "Then that would be impossible, Bruce…

… Rumors tell that Rama-Tut was transported, by the Mother Box, to a realm that no being can either enter, or exit… Rumors say, he is trapped, yet still seeks to one day return to Arda- to reclaim his empire."

"Perhaps, he's found his way out, then?"

"Unlikely," General Fury said, "The rumored realm is believed to be the 'Quantum Real'. It's theorized to be a realm so small, it completely exists outside of space, and time…

… The only people that have been able to make any sort of progress, in proving these theories of the 'Quantum Realm', are Dr. Hank Pym, and Dr. Ray Palmer…"

"The 'shrink-tech'," Rick said.

General Fury then elaborated, "The tech that PalmerPym Tech is working on, not only can grow and shrink a person… But, in theory, it can shrink them small enough to actually enter the Quantum Realm… Or as Dr. Pym calls it, 'The Microverse'...

… Think of it similar to the Savage Lands domain..."

"So there is a chance that Narya is still alive, then?" I asked aloud.

… Maybe that's why there were no traces of her…even a tiny, shrunken version of he… at the Outpost?

"Possibly?"

"Well then we need to tell Aurora! And Shaman!"

"They know, Officer," General Fury said. He walked over towards me, and placed his hand out and on to my shoulder, "And speaking of Alpha Flight, there was an attack on their base yesterday morning… Shortly after I had departed...

Aurora and Shaman are preparing to fly back to Canada as we speak…

One of the mutants that they had given safe haven to, he went crazy. Apparently, he rampaged throughout the base- before escaping into the wilderness…

.. Both Sasquatch and Judd were KIA…"

…

… The room was silent for what felt like a while… 

"That's another reason that we're interested in the Mauraders' plan to break into PalmerPym Tech. Coincidence or not, the only people with the tech that could, in theory, access this 'quantum Realm' - which is rumored to be the resting place of both Rama-Tut, and a Mother Box - is the location that a heist is rumored to occur? And it's being orchestrated by a gang, lead by Mr. Sinister, at that!"

"When's the heist supposedly going to occur?" Bruce asked General Fury. He walked back over to his chair, and sat back at the table. Elbows back on table, and hands back to his chin.

"Tomorrow night."

"Then what's the plan, mates…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Special Thanks to orangebiscotti for help with formatting/improving a portion of dialog***
> 
> You are amazing, and the section is greatly improved! Thank you!


	29. I'm not going

Chapter 57: I'm not going

"We'll get to that tomorrow," General Fury said, "We've gone over enough material for today. Everyone should go get some supper, relax some. Tomorrow morning we will meet to brief the mission… Then, it's game time!"

So we all got up from the table, and then went our separate ways. Me, Barry, and Phill went right to the cafeteria to get dinner…

… I was getting tired of scraps. So this time- food was first!...

On the way to the cafeteria, we could see Private Stewart through a window. He was out on the firing range, but he was practicing with his ring. He really has been training a lot, lately. I think he's still upset from when he was denied - from coming on the last mission - and he's been getting ready for his next chance to prove he's ready… whenever that may come?

We all would soon reach the cafeteria, and go through the line. Dinner was delicious, but nothing really extraordinary happened this evening…

We ate, and chatted. Eventually, Clint, and Bishop, returned from the archery range for supper; as did J'onn, John, and Bruce. Everyone had wanted to say something to Alpha Flight before they had departed, but by the time the meeting had ended, they were already on their way back to Canada.

After we all talked, for what had turned into another couple of hours, I finally got up to retire to my room…

"Off to bed so soon? What? Past your bedtime?" John jokingly taunted me.

"Maybe a little," I said with a smirk.

… Not feeding into John's sparring was really the best way of shutting him down, quickly…

"... We've got a big day tomorrow, remember?"

I then finished saying the rest of my "Good Nights" to everyone, and then I left the cafeteria... And I finally then returned to my room…

"I wonder what's on the television?... I need to zone out for a minute," I said to myself.

I went and sat up on the bed, and then grabbed the remote control to turn on the television…

… Nothing was on that I wanted to watch… It was such a disappointing feeling…

I was tired anyways, and I had started to enjoy the static white noise of an empty channel... So I turned the television to an empty channel, put down the remote control on the side table, and turned off the light. I stretched out, and rolled over- and then pulled the bed covers close, and tight over my shoulder… 

… "Tomorrow's going to be a big day."…

…

"Like taking candy from a baby.."

"Yes it was, Rick."

"They didn't suspect a thing…"

"Well, they did… they just didn't suspect the 'right' things, Rick." The voice laughed… It had to be General Fury… In knew that voice…

… But, where am I? I can't see a thing, but again I hear these voices?...

"You're right, General… That, they did not… So what are we going to tell them when they get back?"

"They're not coming back, Rick."

"What do you mean, General?"

"Well, Rick… let's just say that- their reality just got a little bit 'smaller'…"

Rick laughed, "I got you, General… So they won't be a problem anymore?"

"I don't think so… I don't know how they could. And I happen to know everything… Like what I can do with this ring, now…"

"What's it for exactly, General Fury?"

"I really am starting to tire of this, 'Fury'... But the ring is to control him, Rick."

"Who?"

"The first of its kind…"

…

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

… Again?... What do these mean!?...

As my alarm rang loud, I laid in my bed motionless. I just let the alarm ring for a while…

What was that about!?

… It obviously, I thought, was General Fury... And I'd assume that "Rick" was Rick Flag. But when?

… It kind of sounded like the "we" - which I believed included me, and everyone at the PalmerPym Tech heist mission - were being set up, and that we were then trapped in the 'Microverse'...

… All the while, a "ring" was obtained… And this ring, was something of an apparently great power?

… Private Stewart…

I knew these were just dreams, but something was telling me to listen to them. I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen during tonight's mission… 

… Private Stewart had to come with us, with his ring!

I finally turned off the alarm, and got out of my bed. The television had turned off in the night? That's odd? But I hit the showers, and I got myself ready for the morning mission briefing.

After getting dressed, and before heading to breakfast; I tried calling Jim-

RING, RING! RING, RING! RING, RING! CLICK!

… No answer… Should I be surprised?...

I hung up the telephone, and then finished making my bed. One last look in the mirror, and then I was off to breakfast…

When I arrived to the cafeteria, I saw Private Stewart sitting alone, off at a corner table. Alone would mean he's still feeling upset? However, his expression was different today… He didn't look mad anymore- he looked hurt… Like, physically?

I decided to approach him, and see if he would let me talk to him…

"Hey, Private Stew-"

"Hey, Officer. Got any missions today?"

… Going well already… I took a seat anyways...

"Look, man. That wasn't my call. I'm sorry you felt disrespected in some way…"

"It's fine! I get it… I just don't like it… And someone could have told me… And not just after the fact!"

"I get it. I'm sorry. I understand- I really do. Come to the briefing today? I'll talk to General Fury… You deserve to be in there too."

"Well, thanks for the thought- but I can't join any mission today…" Private Stewart then revealed his left foot from underneath the table…

… He was in a cast?

"There was an accident at the range last night… So, yeah… I'm not going."

"What- What happened?"

"Some fluke accident, apparently," Private Stewart then stiffened up his posture, "As I was walking back into the base - from the firing range - I walked through the threshold of the door, and then doors slammed shut, too soon! My foot was still planted behind me, and the doors crushed my ankle!"

"Oh my, Eru!"

"I know, right?"

"That's unfortunate, for sure. How many broken bones?"

"I don't know… They put me in this cast to 'stabilize' the injury, but the X-Rays aren't scheduled until later today…"

"When?"

"What time do you think?"

"I see... That sucks, Private Stewart."

"You're telling me, Officer… But I'm pretty sure it's time for your briefing. I just saw General Fury, and The Batman, walk by."

He was right. It was time for the mission briefing. Private Stewart and I ended our conversation, and I left the cafeteria for the central control room. When I walked into the room, only Rick, and Phill were still to arrive. Everyone else was sitting around the table… Even General Fury.

I sat down, and then General Fury spoke up, "We can catch Phill, and Rick, up to speed when they get here. Let's get started-

Word says- the Marauders plan to strike shortly after the last scientists leave for the evening. There's a small window between the 'end of day', and when the first, after-hours, security sweeps occur. That's when the Marauders are looking to infiltrate the lab, and steal whatever tech they're looking for… There's no word on who of the Marauders is set to be in on the heist… But you have to be ready."

"What do you mean 'you', General?" I immediately asked.

"I'm not going to be on sight with y'all. I'll be right here."

"Why are you not going on the mission? J'onn can handle the central control room while we're gone," Bruce argued.

"I really can," J'onn unconvincingly confirmed.

"Because," General Fury explained, "If I'm seen- it could blow, Dr. Morbius' cover! Luckily there haven't yet been any whispers of his involvement with the raid on the school… J'onn might be needed if things go bad at PalmerPym Tech. We don't know who all Mr. Sinister's cloned… can't risk you bring here, if, and when, you're needed, J'onn."

"I understand, General Fury. I will execute my orders, sir."

… At that moment, Phil and Rick entered the central control room…

"Whoa! Who's getting executed?" Phill jokingly asked.

"Nice of you two, to join us," General Fury chided.

"I'm sorry, sir," Rick apologized, "Phill here said he was a better shot than me… So we went to the range, sir."

"And was he?"

"We tied, sir…"

"Oh please," Phill contested.

"Alright, alright. Sit down. Both of you!" General Fury said. He then stood up from the table, and he walked over to a blueprint- hung up in the wall...

"So this is the plan…"


	30. I don't think I copied that

Chapter 58: I don't think I copied that

"After we break, and everyone gets some lunch- you all will gather at the Quinjet that's on standby. From there, J'onn and Rick will pilot. I'm sure Bruce and John will be close to the cockpit as well… Barry, Officer, Phill, you all will make up the rest of the strike team."

"What about Clint? And Bishop?" Phill asked.

"And hey, and what about Private Stewart? I know he's injured, but he could still use some experience… He could run point in the Quinjet." I tried to argue.

… If there was any relevance to my dreams, I had to try and argue against Private Stewart staying at the base…

"Barton, and Bishop, are going to be the backup team… should things go south. They will be on the ready nearby, but they will not be moving with the rest of the main team… And, Private Stewart is in no condition to be apart of this mission- in any role! The man's got a crushed ankle, for Eru's sake? What good's he goin' to do out in the field?"

"We don't know how severe it is, sir," I continued, "He hasn't even had an X-ray on it!"

"Enough, Officer! He's not going!"

… There was nothing else I could do to try and argue for this cause… Private Stewart wasn't going… General Fury then continued,

"So as I was saying- we're setting a trap. The building is your standard, state of the art, high tech research and development facility. It has multiple stories, and even more access points… Y'all will land at the edge of the wooded section of the facility's campus. From there, you will all take your positions…

J'onn will impersonate a janitor, mopping the front lobby. Bruce and John will cover things from the buildings security center. Officer, and Phill, you two will pose as janitors, as well. You two will walk the halls looking for anything out of the ordinary… and Barry, you will be stationed on the roof. You can get anywhere from there in a second. Rick will run the communications point from the Quinjet…

When the Marauders show up, Rick will call in for backup- and y'all will take down the enemy, and protect everything in the lab!"

"Simple enough!" John pounded his hand onto the table, "Right, mates!

"I still don't like it," Bruce admitted, "But we can handle this first."

"You still don't like what?" General Fury pried, "Let's hear it, Bruce!"

"Something's off… But I can't yet say what it is… Like I said, we can handle the Marauders first. Maybe they will have some answers?"

"Maybe they will, Bruce… Or maybe your just getting paranoid! Now, everybody go get some lunch… It's getting closer to game time!"

We all left the central control, and went to the cafeteria for lunch. It was a light pasta dish, and some soup. We all made sure to get our fill, but not too much- being as we were so close to the mission. Everyone ate slowly, and didn't talk much… I think we were all just focusing on the mission at hand… "getting into our zones", so to speak...

Eventually, the time came, and we all left for the Quinjet. I had hoped to see Private Stewart again, to try and offer him some sort of warning, but he was already in the medical unit getting his X-ray. The strike team took our positions on the Quinjet, and we made our way for the PalmerPym Tech facility.

The ride was quick, and soon we were landing on the campus. Sol was still out, but the business day was coming to an end. The building looked like it was was mostly empty by this point…

We exited the Quinjet, and made our way inside. Once there, Phill and I changed into some spare janitorial uniforms, and J'onn took the form of an elderly male janitor. Everyone then took their positions- and Phill and I started making our "rounds".

…

"What's this?" I asked myself.

I had been checking rooms, and walking the halls, for well over an hour by now. The janitor keys had actually gotten me into every room that I had come across… Even the secure ones! Although, half the things that I had saw- I had no idea what they even were… But this in this room - on a computer screen - I saw something I did know what it was…

I walked over, closer to the monitor, to make sure I was seeing what I thought that I was seeing… an AI code? J.A.R.V.I.S.? So it was what I was thinking... However, this code was more advanced than anything I had ever seen before… Far more advanced.

The computer appeared to be running a simulation? I didn't want to stop the simulation, so I didn't mess with the computer. But I did start rummaging around in the desk, and the filing cabinets, that were also in the room. Drawer by drawer, I searched for anything about this code that I could find. Even just the projects name…

When I had first realized what the computer monitor was displaying… My mind immediately thought of one thing… The "Ultron Protocol"

... It couldn't be though, right? To my knowledge, at this point- there's not even a Reed Richards in this timeline to help complete the project?... 

… And then it hit me- There maybe wasn't a Reed from this timeline… But there was one that was now in this timeline… I kept looking through the files on this room...

"Batman, come in. This is The Martian. I see two figures approaching the front doors. Be on alert."

"I see them, Martian... Flash, do you copy?"

"Copy, Batman. I see them… But I think that was some bad pasta at lunch… Why does one look like a giant rock? And the other looks like it has a green tail?"

"What!? I don't think I copied that," Phill said into his communications device, "Like a lizard, tail?"

"Actually, Phill," The Martian confirm, "It does appear that one of the figures is some sort of reptilian hominoid… and the other large figure does appear to be made of stone? Batman, what's your order?"

"Hold your position, everyone... Officer, Phill, do you see anything from your positions?"

"Nothing," I said. I then hurried out of the lab to look out of the window at the end of the hallway.

"Nothing here, sir," Phill started to say, "... Hey wait! I think I saw something… Hey! Hey, you! Stop moving!"

"Phill, hold your position!" The Batman ordered, "Constantine is on his way! Do not engage!"

"I said don't move!" Phill continued. He had left his communications line open so that everyone could hear,

"Last chance, buddy! Turn around, slowly!... Are you- Are you wearing a fishbowl? What's that?... Hey! Hey, who are you!"

"Phill, get out of there!" I called into my communications device.

"Hey! What's that your holding!?..."

BUZZ! ZAP! BANG!... STATIC SCREECHING OF PHILL'S COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE...

"Phill!" I screamed!

"Constantine, Officer, get back to the lobby!" The Batman ordered, "We've been set up! Flash, get in here!... Rick!... Rick, do you copy?... Rick!?"

… There was no reply from the Quinjet…

"Everyone, rendezvous in the lobby, now!" The Batman then ordered, "We need to get out of here!"

"But, what about, Phill! I'm not leaving him again! I'll find him, and we'll meet everyone there!"

"Officer, I'm ordering-" CLICK

… I then turned off my communications device… I got you, Phill!...

I quickly made my way up several flights of stairs. Phill was located a few floors below the roof, but still a few floors above where I was located. When I finally got to the floor he was on, I pushed open the door to the main hallway, and I rushed inside! The first thing that I noticed was that all of the lights were off? The power was out...

Clearing down the hallway - at a cautious, but efficient pace - the only light that I had was from both the windows, and from my standard issue flashlight. As I moved through the hallway- there were no sounds on this floor… Just silence… Until eventually I heard,

"Hello, Officer. It's so nice to see you again!"

… Speaking of "Evil" Reed…

"Reed! What are you doing here? Where's Phill!?"

"Now, now, Officer… You know that Phill's not, yet, dead! But look, my friends are also still alive!" Reed began laughing maniacally, "Here, meet Mysterio… He's the magician of my little gang! And that there," he pointed over behind me, "That man is, The Wizard! Those two took care of Phill Coulson for me… Sadly, I couldn't be the one to do it myself!"

"No!" I yelled! "I'll send you all straight to Apocalypse!"

… I then charged towards Reed!... That is, until some sort of force field surrounded me- and then lifted me into the air!

"Not so fast, Officer," The Wizard taunted, as he held out some sort of staff… That must have been what he was using to stop me… Reed then continued to taunt me, "Yes, Officer… You still haven't seen what Lizard, and The Thing, are about to do to the poor Martian in the lobby…"

"I'll kill you, Reed! I swear to Eru!" I prophesied to Reed.

"Eru won't help you, Officer… He has no say on Arda, anymore! He hasn't in a long time! You chose to follow the wrong god, Officer… Nothing can save you, or your friends, now!"

…Just then, a flash of red lightning burst down the hallway! Doors flew open, and papers began scattering, and flying up into the storm! Before one could blink an eye- Reed, the Wizard, and Mysterio were all knocked out- and laid onto the ground!... The Wizard's device was damaged when it was dropped, and it released its hold on me- sending me tumbling to the ground…

"Flash! Perfect timing! We need to find Phill!"

"You get down to the lobby, Officer!" The Flash said, "I'll find Phill!"

"But, Bar-"

"Just go, Officer!"

… I did as The Flash said, and I ran down to the lobby… I turned my communications device back on, on the way…

"Batman, come in! It's Reed! He said he's with his 'gang'? He named a Mysterio, The Wizard, a Lizard, and a Thing?... Batman, do you copy!? Constantine? Martian?"

… I finally reached the bottom of the stairwell, and I kicked open the doors leading into the lobby… Batman and Constantine were busy engaging with The Lizard, while The Martian had his hands full with The Thing!

I started firing my weapon towards The Lizard, "Batman, Constantine! They got Phill! The Flash is looking for him! It's Reed! We have to get out of here!"

"Fall back everyone! We need to get outside!" The Batman ordered.

… Just then, The Flash arrived to the lobby… with Phill! Phill looked badly injured… But he still looked to be alive!

"Flash! You found Phill! I knew it! Come on, we have to get out of here!"

… A green fog then began to engulf both Phill, and The Flash… Within the same green fog, The Flash's red suit began to slowly give way to one of green, and gold… A fishbowl helmet?...

From behind the fog appeared Reed, and the Wizard. They both walked up to each side of Mysterio. Then, within an instant, a blue light emitted from the air around them all... And then they were gone… In their place, an explosion began demolishing the PalmerPym Tech facility!

The Lizard, and The Thing had both runoff in the explosion…

"Phill!" I yelled into the fire.

"Come on, Officer… It was an illusion… Let's go!" The Flash had then ran over to me, and he had started to try and break me from my rage induced paralysis, "That wasn't me! I I just got down from the roof! Something had hit me with a bad jolt of electricity… And it took me out for a while back there… I'm so sorry! I should have been here! But we need to get moving!"

… "...Took me out for a while back there…"... Excuse me?

We all ran back to the Quinjet! Rick was nowhere to be found?

"What? Wheres Rick?" The Flash asked.

"I don't know!" The Batman yelled in frustration, "Add him to the list of MIA's from this set up! General Fury was either given bad information… Or he's got many more questions that I'm going to want to ask him!"

… We all then took our seats, and with The Martian piloting the Quinjet, we departed back to base...

I didn't mention what else I had found… But no one else talked on the trip back to base, either… I was anxious to get back to the base…

… So far- my dream had seemed to be coming true…


	31. Who could be doing this!?

Chapter 59: Who could be doing this!?

As we returned to WCD HQ… My nightmares would soon be realized… The base was under attack!

"Get us down there, J'onn! The radios are down… Oh my, Eru…" Bruce had started to order, but his attention was distracted by the sight of an explosion demolishing a large portion of the southern wing of the WCD HQ.

"I'm trying to, Bruce. But there isn't anywhere I can bring this plane down without risking further structural damage to the base. I can bring it down nearby, but we can't bring it down here."

"That's fine! We just need to get down on the ground!" Bruce was angry, "Then we need to get in there!... Who could be doing this!?"

J'onn brought the Quinjet down in an abandoned lot next to the WCD HQ. Barry flashed out of the plane and directly to the base! J'onn exited the plane, and he flew off to the base. Bruce, John, and I ran as fast to the base as we could!

"I've got a bad feeling about this, mates!... It's all starting to make sense, now!"

"What are you talking about, John?" Bruce questioned as we continue running towards the base.

"Before we headed out west, I heard some whispers about clones from some goblins down at Josie's… Didn't think much of'em… But they also said somethin' about'a 'prophetic robot'... What if they're talkin' about General Fury!?"

… By then, we had reached the perimeter of rubble that had marked the outside of the base's property. We managed our way through the debris, and down, inside of the base…

"What did the goblins say?" I asked John, as we began making out way towards the central control room.

"Something or other about some robot from the future… You have to remember- goblins are notorious liars! They hide their true appearance, for Eru's sake!... So that's why I didn't really listen to'em… But they were saying something about the robot having had awakened an ancient death…"

"That seems pretty relevant to me!"

"Right, Officer… With hindsight… But again- I thought they was just trying to get inside of me head- during our poker game! I didn't think they were credible!"

"That worst thing about General Fury being compromised," Bruce started to speculate, "That means that the SSR has been compromised, as well… We don't know who we can trust! We're alone!"

"Then we'd better hope them goblins was wrong, mates!"

… As we passed by the cafeteria - still on our way towards the central control room - we could see a big fight happening inside!...

… It was the Marauders!... And they had brought with them some familiar faces…

"Juggernaut!?" I exclaimed in both shock, and horror, "He's supposed to be dead!"

Joining the resurrected Juggernaut was the return of Forearm, Gambit - the card throwing mutant, and the only unfamiliar member of our enemy was a woman whose skin seemed to be made of diamond? Juggernaut and J'onn were engaged in combat directly! Forearm and the diamond-woman were keeping Barry busy, and the card thrower was causing explosions across the cafeteria! Over in a far corner, I could see Bishop pinned down behind some turned over tables…

"Guys! They've got Bishop pinned down! Let's get in there!" I yelled in a panic.

"You two get in there," Bruce told us, "I've got to get to the central control room!"

So as Bruce continued down the hallway- John and I busted through the doors, and we both ran into the cafeteria with our guns blazing!

"May the power of Eru compel you- you demon clones! Ahhh!"

… John had that look again…

John then aimed his cross-gun towards Gambit… POW!

And then he aimed towards Forearm… POW!

The first shot hit Gambit just above his eyes- ending his rain of exploding playing cards…

And the second shot had hit it's mark as well- dropping the now headless Forearm immediately…

John then aimed his weapon towards the diamond-woman - who had just landed a direct hit on Barry, knocking him flying backwards, and to the ground - John pulled the trigger… POW!

… TINK!...

… John's previously overpowered rounds did nothing to this diamond-woman! The bullet just hit the woman's face, and it didn't even leave a scratch…

… The diamond-woman then ran over to help Juggernaut with fighting J'onn...

"John, help The Martian!" I yelled, "I'll get to Bishop!"

I ran over to the turned over tables. I could see right away that Bishop was hurt. She had taken some shrapnel to her stomach, and her leg…

"Bishop, we need to get you out of here!" I told her.

"I can't…"

"Yes you can- I'll carry you! Come on!

… And that's when I noticed that she really couldn't get up... The shrapnel in her leg was sliced through her femoral artery. If she moved, it would too…

"Where's Clint?" She asked me.

"I haven't seen him."

"We were eating a late dinner… He was here with me when these mutants broke in! I don't know how they even got down here, but they stormed the cafeteria, and started attacking! It just started happening a few minutes ago!..."

"I'm sure he's alright," I said. But I had no idea.

… Clint's absence did, however, remind me of the fact that he's really been a suspect all along! He was originally mentioned as being apart of Task Force X. He's one of the first people that General Fury approved to be apart of the West Coast Defenders. There's been the fact that he wasn't on the mission today, and the strange occurrence of him leaving when he did the other day in the cafeteria… And now he's gone- when the base is under attack?...

"Were there any other mutants, Bishop? When they first came in?"

"No," she told me, "But they were lead into the base...COUGH! COUGH!..."

"By who?" I asked her… Her eyes were blinking slower- staying shut for longer periods of time. Her breathing was growing shallow.

"Dr. Mor-"

… Bishop fell unconscious before finishing her thought. She still had a faint pulse, but the loss of blood had become too great. She needed medical attention now…

"Wait here, Kate" I said to her, "I'll bring help!"


	32. You'll see soon enough

Chapter 60: You'll see soon enough

As I surveyed the room- There was only one option, that Bishop had for help…

The cafeteria was crumbling around us. Everything was broken, or burning. Juggernaut, and the diamond-woman, were still fighting us, but I had Barry, and both "John's", still available too… Kind of.

Barry was still down, from his diamond-crusted fist to the face, and John's cross-gun does nothing to this diamond-woman…

BANG!

… As I was saying, John's cross-gun does nothing to either the diamond-woman, or Juggernaut. Whom, speaking of which, was proving to be too much for even J'onn to handle…

If John's overpowered holy-gun can't stop those two- What am I, and my standard issue M1911, going to do? But I also can't move Bishop by myself, not with her injuries…

Just then, Barry started getting up on his feet-

"Barry," I called, "Barry! Get over here!"

I was suddenly hit by a rush of wind, as Barry had flashed over! "Officer, I- What's Bishop's condition?"

"She's not going to make it- if we don't get her out of here now, Barry."

"To where, though?"

"I d-... Listen. Get her to the hospital. There's a nurse there. She'll know… Then get back here!"

"Officer-"

"Go, Barry!"

… Within a flash, Barry had removed Bishop from her position against the table, and they both had disappeared…

Back to the fight-

John had taken a position and was trying to do what he could against the remaining two Marauders. J'onn was using his telepathy to hold back the enemies, but they were somehow strong enough to resist J'onn powers, almost completely...

"I can't hold them for much longer." J'onn warned.

"Then don't hold'em, mate! End'em!"

BLAST! 

… OH… MY… ERU…

Laser beam eyes… Not kidding… Two red beams, burst from J'onn's eyes, and immediately shattered the upper torso of Juggernaut!

"Yes, mate! Bloody Apocalypse! Where's that been this whole time!?"

J'onn then tried to turn his death stare towards the diamond-woman… The laser beams ricocheted off of her, and sent the beams flying across the room!

"J'onn, stop!" I yelled.

When J'onn ended his sight guided death beams, a new voice could be heard laughing by the main door..

"Pity that we never got a sample from you, Dr. Jones," the voice taunted… It was Dr. Morbius.

He emerged from the shadows of the broken doors, and he was holding a gun that I had never seen before. It was similar to the gun that Egghead had used at the Outpost… but it didn't seem to be made to shoot those little disks? This looked like it didn't use bullets at all?

Dr. Morbius then activated the weapon. A blue light surged from the handle of the weapon, out to the tip of the barrel. The light glowed with an intensity known only to one thing… Something that by now, I knew all too well… The Cosmic Cube.

But… quantum-powered, Cosmic Cube tech? There's no way, right?

BLAST!

...This time J'onn didn't blast his lasers into the chest of our enemies. No. This blast proved my fear had been realized…

A charge of blue energy released from Dr. Morbius's weapon! It had hit J'onn directly in his chest, and just like I had seen with both Phill, and Bucky… J'onn was instantly entombed in a cloud of blue energy, and then vanished…

"You see, Officer… Constantine, there is no purpose in opposing us. You two have shown yourselves to be resourceful… Dare I say, you both have potential," Dr. Morbius said next.

"You go straight to Apocalypse, you f-" John began, before being interrupted,

"Hold your tongue, fool! The SSR is about to be no more! A seed has been planted… You cannot stop it's growth… The SSR proved to be quite fertile soil, indeed… But now it is time to break out of the soil, and up into the light of day…"

As Dr. Morbius continued his villainous monologue, I noticed John moving slowly off to the side of the cafeteria. He was moving towards a pile of debris that was gathered on the floor near him? I gave him a subtle look, to try and see what he was doing, but he just smiled at me?

He had that look...

I looked down at his profile, towards his hands… He was holding something... Dragon's Breath… That crazy, son of a…

"We have a video showing The Flash killing SSR Agent Coulson, at the PalmerPym Tech facility… Before showing it was The Flash that blew the facility up!"

"What are you talking about!?" I demanded.

"You'll see soon enough, Officer. Well… Maybe, after all, you will not see it for yourself!"

… Dr.Morbius then pointed his weapon towards me!...

"Hey, Doctor!" John then yelled, "Catch!... Officer, Cover!"

BOOM!

John had tossed the Dragon's Breath grenade towards Dr. Morbius! I dove behind a small pile of nearby debris, and I prayed to Eru that I somehow didn't perish in the ensuing blaze…

…

"You can look up now, Officer," a woman's voice said.

… The diamond-woman?...

"Why? Why did you save me?" I asked the diamond-woman. She was now standing over me; as if she had been covering me from the flames of John's grenade.

"My name is Emma Frost. I am not a clone.."

… She was smiling at me? At this point though, I'm still certain that she has saved me- so that she can end me herself...

"I am an X-Men. I infiltrated the Marauders several months ago, on orders of Professor Xavier. He told me that you would come back. I knew it was you the moment that you ran into the cafeteria."

"What are you talking about!?" I interjected to ask. "You're an X-Men!?"

"Go now, Officer!... Constantine! Go on!... You have to get to the central control room!"

… John emerged from the pile of debris he had taken cover behind, and he ran over to join myself, and this, Emma Frost… But when a section of roofing fell down, that was close to all of us, Emma seemed to disappear...

So John and I exited the cafeteria, to make our way towards the central control room, we walked past the charred, smoldering remains of Dr. Morbius. His body was almost unrecognizable. The weapon he had used- was damaged almost completely. The sight made me feel that If that was the last of Dr. Morbius, and his Marauders, then we've won, right? We saved the base!

…

We reached the central control room, and we rushed through the door…

"Don't take another step closer! And keep your hands where I can see them!"

"Clint!? What are you doing, mate!?"

… Clint was holding The Batman at bow-point…

"Listen, everyone needs to just take a seat at the table," a new voice then said, from behind one of the chairs sitting around the table.

"Rick!? What's going on here?" I demanded.

"Listen, Officer, just take a seat." Rick said, while pointing to a vacant chair. He then motioned over towards another chair and said, " John, please."

We all sat down at the table in the central control room. Clint ushered The Batman to a seat as well. Next, entering through the door, another, familiar voice began to speak-

"Now, I know you all have your questions… and probably, rightly so… But there's still one question that I would like to know…"

It was General Fury? And with him was Phil, and Private Stewart… Both were in bad shape; bloodied and bruised. General Fury was smiling, and on his hand… The Lantern Ring.


	33. It really was all our fault...

Chapter 61: It really was all our fault...

"Y'all need to understand, I am always two steps ahead... Of everything! This was never about clones, or PalmerPym Tech, or any of that other stuff," General Fury began explaining, "It's always been about, The First of Its Kind!"

"Excuse me... But what?" John interrupted to ask.

"The First of Its Kind, John… The prophesied 'Savior of Arda'."

… General Fury then began to explain the true cause for the original alien annihilation…

"You see, those nukes didn't bring about the invasion… No. It was the SSR! They had, in their possession, all three Mother Boxes… And they tried to control a power that they could never hope to understand… And they couldn't! They caused the Boxes to open the portal over Japan!

"What!?" I exclaimed, "I was never told any of this!"

"Of course not, Officer. You think anyone within the SSR was willing to publicly claim responsibility for the decimation of Arda? There were only three scientists that knew the full truth… Dr. Jones, Dr. Osterman, and Dr. Essex. All of whom were working for the SSR. Corrupting the SSR.

"How did they get all three boxes, mate?"

"Just like the 'prophecy' said they would- Time, Space, and from the heart of Arda…

A man showed up one day; right in the middle of the White House lobby. He moved like The Flash, but he said that he wasn't from this timeline, nor even this reality… This was at the tail end of the first Great War! And he was holding this strange box...

The second came not long after, on that Arda-changing day in 1920… Not only did an alien plane crash down, but with it- both an occupant, and another one of these mysterious boxes…

The third box emerged, after having been hidden, deep within the heart of Arda. A woman would appear on the beaches of Star City. She said her name was, 'Diana'. She said that she had come from an island of other warrior-women. She said that this box that she had with her, was the key to stopping the return of a long forgotten evil… one that was going to return, regardless."

"The Amazonians…" I gasped. "And- One by Time, One by Space, and one from the center of Arda… It really was all our fault…"

General Fury continued, "The Doctors eventually succeeded in 'unlocking' the Mother Boxes. If that's what you'd call it. They were able to combine the three boxes together, as one. And when the boxes were united, they shot up a tremendous, blue charge, straight up into the sky… And that's when the portal appeared."

"The man that showed up, at the White House, years ago… You've been working with Thawne, this entire time. Haven't you?" Bruce asked General Fury.

"I work with no one!" General Fury fired back, "He works for me… Well, he did…"

"What do you mean, he did?" I asked.

"He went rogue… And I've been chasing him ever since."

"What's the point of all of this?" Bruce continued to interrogate.

"The SSR is doomed to fail, Bruce. There is no stopping what is coming next… Our best bet now is to invite it… and hope that it is merciful to our devotion!"

"You've gone mad, haven't ya!?" John yelled, "Get your wires all crossed up somehow, did ya?"

"Wait a second, John," Bruce said, "I've got one more question for General Fury… Why do you need that ring so badly?"

"You see, Bruce- that alien, that arrived with a Mother Box, is like nothing else that we'd ever encountered. We still don't know what it is…

… And you also must know- Thawne and I have been, had been, trying to save Arda, for far longer than y'all realize… But all that we have learned is that this ring contains the being's only real weakness..."

"How so?" Private Stewart gathered the strength to ask.

"There was a mineral, on the plane that the alien had crashed in. It had kept the alien being docile, and weak. The mineral glowed with a bright green haze… And the last known remnants of that element are now located inside of this ring."

"Does it power the ring?" Private Stewart asked.

"No, it's just well hidden inside of the ring," General Fury returned to his gloating of authority look, but this time was different… For being an LMD, he looked legitimately, humanly, crazy.

"So cut to the chase, Fury! We ain't got all day. You're basically saying to join you, or die? Am I close?" John said. He also had that look that he's becoming known for…

With a mad grin, General Fury answered, "What do you choose?"

"I'll see you in Hell!" John proclaimed. He then jumped out of his seat, and over the table towards General Fury!

"Wrong choice!" General Fury quipped. He then used the Lantern Ring to hit John with a blast of energy! The blast sent John flying back against the wall behind him!

Everyone else then seemed to all move at the same time. Bruce jumped from his seat to take on Clint. Private Stewart moved to confront Rick. And then Phill… Phill then reached for the gun at General Fury's waste... As General Fury turned to deliver a sure fatal blow to Phill, I knew what I had to do…

BANG!

… I pulled my standard issue, and I placed a bullet directly through General Fury's eyepatch…

Before the LMD corpse could hit the ground, a burst of wind flashed through the door to the central control room, and passed around both Rick and Clint. When the LMD did finally hit the ground, the two traitors were also knocked out on the ground, and Barry was standing over General Fury's lifeless body.

"Ah, The Flash! You're a little late!" John started to chuckle, as he was slowly getting back to his feet.

"Where's J'onn?" Barry immediately asked.

"Long story, mate. So-"

I then interrupted John to ask Barry, "Did you get Bishop to the hospital?"

"Not exactly, Officer… But I found something else… Or rather, they found me."

… Just then, the lifeless corpse, of the General Fury LMD, began to power back on! And the Lantern Ring was still on its finger…

General Fury then raised his hand, and aimed the ring directly towards Barry. In a broken, robotic voice, General Fury then said, "You were… supposed... be better... he was…"

… As the ring began to swell with green energy, a fireball came flying from the hallway, and knocked Genery Fury's hand away from it's aim on Barry!...

"Flash, get everyone out of here!" a voice called from down the hallway, "We can handle this!"

Before I could blink, Barry had ushered me, Phill, Private Stewart, John, and Bruce, all out of the central control from. We were standing in the hallway facing back towards the door- where we could see General Fury still trying to get up from the ground. There were now two new people standing between General Fury, and the rest of us…

"Jim!" I exclaimed, "About time you got here!"

Jim was standing, in full flaming glory, just before the doorway. He had hit General Fury with a few more fireballs, and then he retreated back for the other person to take the lead. This person was a younger woman, with short black hair. I had never met this woman before… Ever.

This woman had gauntlets on both of her wrists. She had taken her position in the doorway, and then raised both of her hands out towards General Fury…

"Who are you?" General Fury asked this woman.

"My name is Agent Johnson… But most people call me, 'Quake'!"

As she delivered her introduction, she was somehow able to lift General Fury up into the air! She held him in place, as he struggled to break free of her hold. This, "Agent Johnson", then released one of her hands, cocking it back as if to throw something. With her other hand, she was still able to keep her hold of General Fury. Then, with her free hand, she blasted General Fury with a devastating wave of energy!... I think it was energy? When the wave hit General Fury, it shattered the LMD into hundreds of pieces!

… Like shooting a bullet through a glass cup…


	34. Far enough

Chapter 62: Far enough

It was over. The attack on the WCD HQ had ended. Only a handful of SSR soldiers had survived… We had lost so much…

J'onn was apparently lost into the Quantum Realm? Or somewhere else, perhaps? Private Stewart, and Phill, were both nearly beaten to death. Bishop's status was unknown, but she didn't last appear likely to survive. The SSR had been infiltrated by a cable of traitors... And because of that, we not only, also lost Rick, Clint, and General Fury... but Eru knows who else?

… Not to mention the other attacks on various other SSR locations… So much had just happened…

General Fury stated that he and Thawne were once partners. That they had been working together for far longer than we had realized. He said that it wasn't until later that Thawne had gone rogue… And then his last words to Barry… What could General Fury have meant?

It seemed as if General Fury was saying that Barry was supposed to have been better than "he was"... But who was this "he"?... All of this had been processed in my mind; while at the same time, my eyes were locked on the sight of this, "Quake", exploding the LMD…

… Again, I thought to myself- It was finally over.

"I told you I'd be here in a couple of days! Didn't I, Officer!" Jim proudly began, "And see… Told you I was bringing a friend. I actually brought a few… But, come on- let's get out of this place before it all falls down on us! The Quinjet is ready outside!"

"Torch," Quake addressed Jim, "I just got the word from the jet. Extraction is ready."

"Hello, Miss Quake. Might I introduce myself? The name's-"

"Shove it, Constantine," she interrupted, "I'll shatter every bone in your body."

"Oh... I like her… I'm sitting by Quake on the way out of this hole! And somebody- Please tell me that we're going back to Gotham, mates? I just want to get a drink at Josie's, really… Hey Quake, have you ever heard of Josie's?"

… Quake had already started evacuating out to the Quinjet. John closely followed… As did everyone else…

"It's good to see you, Jim," Bruce said, as we were making our way out. "What's this all about though? Where's Stark, and Miss America?"

"I think I can help answer this," Barry said. His face had the look of someone who had been keeping a very big secret. "I may have been keeping a small secret…"

"Let's save the story time for the trip home, Barry," Jim said, "It is a long trip, you know."

"Where are we going?" Phill asked.

"Yeah, and please don't say some new, freaky place... Like 'The Savage Lands', again!" Private Stewart added.

"Well, I guess it depends on what your definition of 'freaky' is?" Quake smirked.

"All in due time," Jim said.

… We all eventually made our way out of the destroyed HQ, and entered the waiting Quinjet. Inside of the plane sat the diamond-woman, Emma Frost. There were also two other X-Men, who were piloting the plane. Two that I had remembered from the original timeline…

"Frost?… Dr. McCoy? Forge? What are you two doing here?"

"A, 'thank you', would have been more appropriate, I do believe," Dr. McCoy sarcastically chided.

"Take your seats, everyone. We have to get moving," Forge then ordered.

… We all took our seats, and we then began our next trip… To somewhere…

"Barry, I believe you have a secret to tell us?" Bruce began by asking.

"I do… Do you remember when we first got here, Officer? When I first said I needed to find out what had happened?"

"Of course. You were gone for a while before returning."

"I was actually gone a lot longer than most of you all know… Most relevantly though, at one point, I had traveled back to April, 1939... I had found out about Steve Rogers' brainwashing, during a different Speed Force adventure, and because of that- I knew that I needed to warn Peggy Carter…"

"Warn Peggy Carter? A lot of good that did in this timeline," Bruce interjected.

"It did, Bruce," Jim responded. He then took over the story telling, "Barry warned Dir. Carter about the sabatoge, and assassination attempt… It saved her life!"

"Explain," Bruce calmly demanded.

"When Barry claimed that Dr. Erskine would brainwash Rogers, and then that an LMD General Fury would one day return from the future… No one believed him. That's why they tried to imprison him."

"And that's why I then made my next trip back to the future… Further into the future…"

"How far did you actually go, Barry?" I asked.

"Far enough."

Jim then continued, "Ultimately, Dir. Carter faked her death the night of Rogers' transformation. Preparations had been made, in secret, by a select few, to hide this fact from the rest of the SSR."

"Who else knew?" Phill asked.

"Well, the real Nick Fury, for one…"

"What!?" I exclaimed.

"It's true, Officer," Barry confirmed, "I had told them to find him, and hide him. I knew the LMD couldn't be trusted…"

"And you were right," Jim said, "Last Spring, shortly after you had returned from the future again - this time with Eddie, and the LMD - the LMD tried to take out the real Fury! We were able to again fake the death of the intended target, and again kept the events under wraps.

Since then, we have been monitoring the deliberate destruction of the SSR from the inside out. The LMD was cancer. He also was Hydra. Or at least through Thawne, he worked with them. And because of that, Hydra had infiltrated, and spread, throughout every level of the SSR… Really, throughout all of the government.

About a week ago, we intercepted a message intended to inform Hydra sleeper cells that their activation was imminent. Coordinates for several locations were listed. All SSR bases. That's when we knew that they were finally making their move. We just didn't know exactly when- until the other day. We intercepted another message. This one was directions for the Marauders to attack the WCD HQ."

"You knew?" Bruce asked.

"Yes. But we couldn't be sure of when. Or if it really was even going to happen. An argument had been made that the message could even have been a trap- set for us. That maybe the message had intended to be intercepted. We still decided to come anyway, but we did hesitate. And for that, I am sorry."

"Tell that to J'onn." Bruce scolded.

"Listen, I know this is a lot, Bruce… Everyone. But you'll understand more when we get back to base."

"Where is this base?" Private Stewart asked. He was certainly worried about this.

"And who is it that we work for now?" John asked, "Because I'd imagine you're not calling yourselves the 'SSR', anymore. Are you?"

"We're called, 'A.R.G.U.S.', and we're going to the Sentient World Observation and Response Department, or 'S.W.O.R.D.', as we call it. It's our new HQ."

"A.R.G.U.S.?" I asked.

"That's correct, Officer. Now listen up, everyone. The trip will take us a few hours on this Quinjet - Just wait until you see some of the tech we have at S.W.O.R.D. - try and get some rest. There will be a full debriefing once we arrive."

We all then sat back in our seats, and prepared for the trip. We must be going somewhere on the other side of Arda, or something, for it to be taking us a couple of hours to get there...

"Prepare for blast off," I then heard Dr. McCoy chuckled to Forge.

"You think we should tell them where HQ is, Dr. McCoy?"

"No, Forge. They'll find out soon enough."

… I could see down, and out of the Quinjet's front windshield. The nose of the plane had tilted up towards the stars? 'Or something' it is. Forge then pulled back a lever on the control panel, and the plane accelerated out into space!...

"Hey John," Bruce said. He was looking at the same thing that I was. "Looks like you're not going to Josie's."

After a few moments, I again leaned back in my seat, and I then closed my eyes. Jim said we'd understand when we got to HQ, and he hasn't let me down yet… I still have so many questions…

… But for now- Maybe resting would be a good idea…

…

…

"Everything is as prophesied, Herr Schmidt. We're almost in position."

"Not without that ring, Thawne. But we still do have the advantage…"

… Voices? What is this?...

A robotic voice then began to speak, "Ultron Protocol Initiating."

"You see, Eobard... They still do not suspect a thing."


End file.
